A portrait painted by a legendary Italian master which was looted by the Nazis during World War II has been located thanks to a real estate listing, The Guardian reported.
A property listing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, showed pictures of the long-lost painting “Portrait of a Lady (Countess Colleoni)” hanging in the home’s living room above a worn green sofa. It was created by Italian portraitist Giuseppe Ghislandi, also known as Fra’ Galgario, who lived from 1655 until 1743. The painting was once owned by Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Dutch art dealer who in May 1940 fled the Netherlands as the Nazi invasion commenced. Goudstikker died after he broke his neck in a fall in the cargo hold of the ship taking him to safety. Several weeks after his death, Goudstikker’s collection of over 1,100 pieces of art was auctioned at a fraction of its worth by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring.
Despite some of Goudstikker’s collection being found after the war, “Portrait of a Lady” has been missing since 1945. Dutch newspaperADinvestigated the artwork and found that Ghislandi’s painting is listed in a database of lost art and marked “unreturned” after WWII. The outlet reportedly uncovered documents which suggest the artwork may have belonged to Friedrich Kadgien, who was a Nazi official, SS officer, and senior aide to Göring.
Journalists Tried to Track Down Surviving Relatives
After fleeing Switzerland in 1945, Kadgien moved to Brazil and then Argentina, where he started a family and remained until his death at 71 in 1978. AD tried to contact Kadgien’s daughters several times during its investigation, but received no response. At one point, a reporter went to their home but still could not find the surviving relatives.
“There was certainly someone at home, we saw a shadow moving in the corridor, but no one opened,” journalist Peter Schouten reported. “By the way, the house is for sale,” he said, attaching a link to the listing.
AD reporter Cyril Rosman added: “As I opened the link the next morning, I started scrolling through the interior photos of the property. Was there anything that said more about Kadgien’s past? Then I saw it. That painting, above the sofa—photo five.”
Art historians who have evaluated the work say the painting bears all the hallmarks of being Ghislandi’s missing work. Once the painting is verified, it will go on display at one of several Italian museums which showcase Ghislandi’s work.
