For nearly eight decades, Giuseppe Ghislandi’s Portrait of a Lady, stolen from Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during WWII, was recovered in a real estate listing.
It earlier seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. A stolen 18th-century masterpiece, looted by Nazis during WWII, resurfaced unexpectedly in an online real estate ad in Argentina.
The painting’s first-ever color image appeared in an online real estate listing, uploaded by the daughter of Friedrich Kadgien, the Nazi officer accused of stealing it.
A Dutch journalist discovered a WWII-looted painting in an Argentine real estate listing while investigating Friedrich Kadgien’s life.
The listing was quickly removed after the story broke in the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
Police raided Patricia Kadgien’s home in Mar del Plata but couldn’t find the painting. Kadgien and her husband were detained for concealment and obstruction of justice, while authorities seized other potentially looted artworks during the raids.
Finally, on Wednesday, after eight decades of mystery, the breakthrough moment came.
At a press conference in Mar del Plata’s federal court, officials revealed that the Kadgien family had handed over the long-lost canvas.
An expert, Ariel Bassano, who had assisted with the investigation, believed that the painting is in good condition and dates back to 1710.
The recovery of “Portrait of a Lady” brings vindication to Goudstikker’s heirs, who have long fought to reclaim artworks stolen from his collection during WWII, while also serving as a poignant reminder of the many pieces still lost.
