A Nazi-looted masterpiece was discovered in a real estate listing in Argentina The “Portrait of a Lady,” painted by Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi (1655-1743), also known as Fra Galgario, belonged to Jewish Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. In 1940, he died trying to escape Nazi persecution, and the painting was stolen by the Nazis, remaining missing ever since. Recently, Dutch reporters from Algemeen Dagblad found the painting. While investigating how the Nazis smuggled stolen art to Argentina, they came across a house for sale. In a photo of the living room, above the sofa, hangs the Portrait of Countess Colleoni – the very same Ghislandi painting. The house belongs to the daughters of SS officer Friedrich Kadgien, who died in 1978. Kadgien was a financial advisor to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and was responsible for handling expropriated Jewish property. Under his supervision, valuable papers, diamonds, stamp collections, and artworks were smuggled across borders and converted into currency. After the war, Kadgien fled to Switzerland and then settled in Buenos Aires in 1951. The Nazi managed to bring many valuable items there, including, apparently, the Portrait of a Lady. Following a tip from Interpol, Argentine police searched Kadgien’s daughters’ home and found 25 artworks by Italian and German painters that may also have belonged to Jews. However, the Portrait of a Lady was not among them – the daughters had hidden it elsewhere. In its place, a carpet hung on the wall. After the search, one sister Pretended not to understand what it was about and claimed Ignorance. An investigation has been opened against her.

Posted by Fred Bassett