Nazi Looted Art at Manhattan Jewish Museum

For those who are in the New York City area and enjoy old master paintings there appears to be a very good show at the Manhattan Jewish Museum. Robin Schatz of Bloomberg writes on the Goudstikker Gallery collection of Nazi art. The art was stolen from the Dutch Gallery when the Nazi's invaded Holland. Nearly 1400 pieces of art where either stolen and removed to Germany or had titled illegally transferred to Germany as the gallery continued to operate. Jacques Goudstikker and his wife and child escaped, but he sadly died during the attempt.

About 40 pieces of the collection are on display along with Nazi documents and photographs documenting the theft. The inclusion of the Nazi documents and images adds to the reality of situation.

Schatz reports Hitler’s second-in-command, Hermann Goering, shipped off about 800 of the best works to Germany, commandeering some 200 for himself. (One particularly disturbing photo shows an officious Goering in hat and trench coat striding out of the gallery.) Then he transferred the business to one of his henchmen in a forced sale and let it continue to operate under the Goudstikker name.

Schatz continues in 1997, Marei von Saher, Goudstikker’s daughter- in-law and sole surviving heir, filed for restitution. It took a full decade to get those 200 works back. They represent but a fraction of the Goudstikker trove that is still scattered around the world in private and public collections.

To read the full Bloomberg article, click HERE. “Reclaimed” is at the Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd Street, through Aug. 2. Information: +1-212-423-3200; http://www.jewishmuseum.org.