Showing posts with label jewish art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jewish art. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Over 1,400 Stolen Famous Art Pieces Found in Munich


Village Girl with Goat-Lost Art Piece
Authorities found long lost art by famous masters such as Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse and Otto Dix in a Munich apartment. It is believed that such works were stolen during the Nazi Era and disappeared into the ashes of history. The total value of the 1,400 pieces seized could easily be over a billion dollars sparking interest from a variety of groups and parties. 

Most of the works are well preserved and part of the list called “degenerative art” that the regime felt were not in alignment with local culture. Such art was often either removed or destroyed in an attempt to provide what was seen at the time as a purer culture. Some artists were fined or jailed for breaking cease and desist orders on their painting activities. 

When art was seized sometimes it was sold overseas for hundreds of millions of dollars. The regime would hire someone to help sell the art and remove it from the country. It is believed that the holder’s father was hired to do just that. He was discovered with a large stash of cash and a search warrant discovered the source. 

As no major lists have been released it makes a number of major art enthusiasts wonder precisely what the paintings are and who the original owners were. Many great masterpieces offered to the world at one time may change the nature of the art market in a profound way through the discovery of lost work and techniques. Despite the recent hidden find it is possible others are out there just under someone’s kitchen floor, root cellar or in a secret basement doorway. 

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