Recovered in Argentina: Stolen Italian Painting Linked to Nazis
In a significant development, the painting "Portrait of a Countess Colleoni" has been found in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The artwork, an 18th-century masterpiece by Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi, was stolen at the end of World War II in 1945.
The discovery was made last month through investigative procedures that included finding burglary tools thrown into a body of water near a museum and identifying DNA traces. This led the authorities to track down the suspects, who are currently under house arrest pending a hearing on charges of concealment and obstruction of justice. The specific details about the charges are not provided in the given text.
The painting was not found during a police raid on Patricia Kadgien's home in Mar del Plata. However, other homes belonging to the Kadgien sisters were raided, and paintings and engravings suspected of being stolen during the 1940s were seized.
The painting was in the possession of Dutch-Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikker before he was killed in a shipwreck in 1940. The collection, including the stolen painting, was later acquired by Hermann Goering, the head of the Nazi Luftwaffe and Adolf Hitler's right-hand man. The painting was looted by the Nazis shortly after Goudstikker's death.
Ariel Bassano, an art expert, has been assisting Argentine authorities with their investigation into the painting. Bassano dates the painting to 1710 and values it at roughly $50,000 (almost €43,000). The painting is in good condition, according to Bassano.
The real estate listing, which included a visible image of the painting, was unwittingly uploaded by one of Kadgien's daughters. The painting is now being stored in a special chamber for safekeeping.
The discovery of the painting was made possible by members of the community and journalists. The Dutch Algemeen Dagblad newspaper published the image of the painting last Monday. The painting "Portrait of a Lady," another artwork from Goudstikker's collection, was also recovered in Argentina.
Friedrich Kadgien, a Nazi lawyer responsible for managing confiscated Jewish property in the Third Reich, lived in Argentina from 1949 until 1978. The investigation into the painting's history is ongoing, and further details about how it was discovered in Argentina are not provided in the given text.
