An artwork looted by the Nazis from the renowned Goudstikker collection has resurfaced in the home of descendants of a notorious Dutch SS collaborator, according to art detective Arthur Brand. The painting, Portrait of a Young Girl by Toon Kelder, is believed to have hung for decades in the family home of Hendrik Seyffardt, a high-ranking Dutch Nazi collaborator who commanded a Waffen-SS unit.
Brand described the discovery as "the most bizarre case of my entire career." He was approached by a relative of Seyffardt who had uncovered two disturbing family secrets: his descent from the collaborator and the family's possession of looted art. The relative, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw the painting hanging in the hallway of Seyffardt's granddaughter.
The granddaughter reportedly told the relative: "It is Jewish looted art, stolen from Goudstikker. It is unsellable. Don't tell anyone." However, the relative wanted the story to go public and contacted Brand. He told De Telegraaf: "I feel ashamed. The painting should be returned to the heirs of Goudstikker."
Brand's investigation confirmed the painting's provenance. It had a Goudstikker label on the back and the number "92" carved into the frame. Brand found the corresponding entry in an auction catalogue from 1940, where part of the looted Goudstikker collection was sold. Hermann Göring had looted the collection when art dealer Jacques Goudstikker fled to England in 1940. Brand surmises Seyffardt acquired the painting at that auction.
Lawyers for the Goudstikker heirs confirmed the artwork was looted and called for its return. However, the police cannot act due to the statute of limitations, and the Dutch Restitutions Committee cannot compel private individuals to return artworks. The family member sees public exposure as the only way to return the painting to its rightful owners. Brand noted: "Discovering a painting from the famous Goudstikker collection, in the possession of the heirs of a notorious Dutch Waffen-SS general, truly tops everything."
