Judge orders return of Nazi-looted painting to heirs

An Argentinian judge ordered Patricia Kadgien and Juan Carlos Cortegoso to return Giacomo Ceruti’s “Portrait of a Lady” to the heirs of Jacques Goudstikker, a Dutch art dealer whose collection was plundered by the Nazis.

The painting disappeared in 1945 after being stolen from an Amsterdam art gallery. Last year, journalists with Algemeen Dagblad newspaper in the Netherlands noticed the painting in a real estate listing for a home in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Investigators found the painting had been in the possession of Kadgien, the daughter of a Nazi official who oversaw art theft during World War II.

Kadgien and her husband initially faced criminal charges for concealing the painting, but the case was suspended when they agreed to return the artwork and donate approximately $3,200 to hospitals. “Portrait of a Lady” was one of over 1,100 artworks stolen from Goudstikker’s collection, with more than 200 pieces already recovered and returned to his family. The restitution of Nazi-looted art is an ongoing international effort.

Researchers recently launched an AI chatbot to help identify and return stolen artwork, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris opened a permanent exhibition to display looted art and connect it with rightful owners. Marei von Saher, Goudstikker’s daughter-in-law, expressed her joy at the court’s decision and vowed to continue pursuing justice for stolen art.