An 18th-century painting stolen by the Nazis more than 80 years ago has been recovered in Argentina, a week after it was spotted by chance in a property listing. The work, Portrait of a Lady (Contessa Colleoni) by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi, was handed over to the Argentinian judiciary on Wednesday by Patricia Kadgien, daughter of the late Nazi financier Friedrich Kadgien.
Patricia Kadgien and her husband have been under house arrest since Tuesday. Prosecutors allege the couple attempted to conceal the stolen artwork and face a hearing on Thursday on charges of concealment and obstruction of justice. Her legal representatives declined to comment.
The painting was traced by the Dutch newspaper AD after a years-long investigation. A breakthrough came when a reporter found the Kadgien family home in an online listing in Mar del Plata, with a photograph showing the missing artwork hanging above a sofa. The painting, last seen in 1946, was part of a collection belonging to Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker.
Following the newspaper's findings, federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez ordered a raid on the property, but the painting had been removed. Police seized two unlicensed firearms and two mobile phones. Four additional raids uncovered two other paintings, along with drawings and engravings, which experts believe may also be from the 19th century and are being analysed for possible wartime looting.
Friedrich Kadgien fled the Netherlands in 1946, eventually settling in Argentina, where he died in 1978. The painting is believed to have stayed in the family. Goudstikker, who died in 1940, had more than 1,000 works stolen by the Nazis. His heirs intend to reclaim the recovered portrait.
