Argentina: Alleged Nazi-looted art discovered in real estate ad on the Internet

The suspected discovery of a work of art stolen by the Nazis is causing a stir in Argentina. It was discovered more than 80 years after its disappearance in a real estate ad on the internet – and then disappeared again. According to a report in the Buenos Aires Times, it was a work by the late Baroque Italian artist Fra Galgario (born Giuseppe Ghislandi). This, or at least a good copy of it, was discovered by the Dutch newspaper AD in a photo in a real estate advertisement from the Argentinian city of Mar del Plata. When the police subsequently searched the building, the picture had disappeared. The house belonged to the daughter of a confidant of Hermann Göring.

Discovered in photos, disappeared from the house

AD made the alleged discovery public at the beginning of the week. The background to this is an investigation by the newspaper into the former high-ranking Nazi functionary Friedrich Kadgien, who arrived in Argentina after the Second World War and is said to have had two valuable paintings with him. One of them was undoubtedly Nazi-looted art and had been bought from the Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker by Hermann Göring at a price that was far too low. According to the report, Kadgien had two daughters in Argentina and died in 1978. The research team had tried in vain to get in touch with the daughters in Argentina. But then they came across the real estate ad in which the missing painting can be seen above a sofa.

After the Dutch newspaper made the alleged find public on Monday, the apartment described was searched by the police on Tuesday, reports the Buenos Aires Times. Although firearms were found, the picture was no longer there. The Argentinian newspaper La Nación adds that the investigators had the strong impression that changes had recently been made to the room in question. For example, there were clear traces behind a tapestry that something else had been attached there not so long ago. The advertisement had also disappeared from the estate agent's website. The painting is still considered lost.

While the search for the painting continues in Argentina, the heirs of the Jewish art dealer have filed a lawsuit against the Kadgien family, according to AD. The newspaper also writes that a suspected piece of looted art was found on an old social media post by the Argentinian family. However, this has also disappeared. During the search of the apartment in Mar del Plata, however, works of art were also discovered. These are now being examined, and if they turn out to be genuine, they would also come from artists whose names are on lists of wanted looted works of art.

(mho)