Argentine police recover Nazi-looted painting

Argentine authorities have recovered an 18th-century painting stolen by the Nazis over 80 years ago, ending an extraordinary investigation that began when the artwork was spotted in a real estate listing online. The portrait by Italian artist Giuseppe Ghislandi was handed over to prosecutors on Wednesday after the daughter of a Nazi official and her husband were placed under house arrest for allegedly obstructing the recovery effort.aol

Federal prosecutor Daniel Adler announced the recovery of “Portrait of a Lady,” also known as “Portrait of Contessa Colleoni,” during a press conference in Mar del Plata. The painting, valued at approximately $50,000, had not been seen publicly in 80 years before its dramatic rediscovery. Art expert Ariel Bassano, who assisted with the investigation, confirmed the work is “in good condition given its age” and dates to 1710.wtop

Discovery Through Digital Sleuthing

The remarkable case began when Dutch journalists from Algemeen Dagblad spotted the painting hanging above a green sofa while browsing real estate photos online. The property belonged to Patricia Kadgien, daughter of Friedrich Kadgien, a senior Nazi official who served as financial adviser to Hermann Göring and fled to Argentina after World War II. Kadgien died in Buenos Aires in 1978.aol

Dutch reporter Peter Schouten initially visited the property in person but received no response. After noticing a “For Sale” sign, he discovered the online listing where his husband spotted the painting while reviewing photos. “I told him, ‘No, that can’t be true. The Dutch government has been looking for this painting for 80 years … it can’t just be hanging above a sofa in Mar del Plata,'” Schouten recalled.abcnews

The painting was part of the vast collection of Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Dutch-Jewish art dealer whose Amsterdam gallery was seized when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. Goudstikker died while fleeing to England, and his collection of over 1,000 works was forcibly sold to top Nazi officials, including Göring.timesofisrael

Investigation and Recovery

When Argentine police initially raided Kadgien’s home, they found a tapestry hanging where the painting had been photographed. The couple was placed under house arrest for 72 hours on charges of “concealment of theft in the context of genocide” and obstructing justice.aol

During subsequent searches, authorities seized two additional 19th-century paintings from the home of another Kadgien daughter, which are being analyzed to determine if they were also stolen during World War II. Patricia Kadgien and her husband maintained they were the rightful owners of the artwork through inheritance.latimes

The painting was ultimately handed over by the couple’s lawyer on Wednesday, though prosecutor Adler did not specify where the portrait would be housed next. The artwork is currently being stored “in a special chamber” for safekeeping.wtop

This case highlights Argentina’s complex history as a haven for Nazi fugitives after the war and underscores ongoing international efforts to recover stolen cultural artifacts. As Dutch art detective Arthur Brand noted, “thousands of Nazi-looted works are still out there, hanging in living rooms, passed down quietly through families”. Goudstikker’s 81-year-old daughter-in-law, Marei von Saher, continues pursuing restitution for the remaining missing works from his collection.abcnews