By Historiek.net
Argentine authorities have recovered Portrait of a Lady 17th-century painting believed to have been looted by the Nazis during World War II, the Mar del Plata Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.
The artwork, titled “Portrait of a Lady” by Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi, was turned over to prosecutors by the lawyer representing two suspects detained earlier this week in connection with the alleged theft. Both suspects remain under investigation.
Raids and Arrests Linked to Nazi Descendant
According to officials, the painting was seized following four raids carried out in Mar del Plata on Tuesday. Two individuals were subsequently placed under house arrest: one identified as a descendant of Nazi official Friedrich Kadgien, and her partner. Prosecutors announced that the pair will face a formal hearing on charges this Thursday.
Investigators allege that the artwork was stolen during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s and later came into the possession of Kadgien. The former Nazi leader fled to Argentina after World War II, joining many others who sought refuge in South America to escape prosecution. He died in Buenos Aires in 1978.
Painting Linked to Looted Jewish Collection
Archival documents in the Netherlands show that the painting originally belonged to Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Jewish art dealer whose gallery was raided by Nazi forces in May 1940. The archives confirm that the piece was among the many works stolen from Goudstikker’s collection and later traced to Kadgien’s possession.
Goudstikker’s family has long been campaigning for the restitution of artworks stolen more than 80 years ago. The recovery of “Portrait of a Lady” marks a significant development in ongoing efforts to return looted cultural property to its rightful heirs.
The World War II art restitution issue remains a pressing matter across Europe and beyond, with thousands of stolen works still unaccounted for. For Argentina, the discovery underscores the country’s historical role as a hiding place for fleeing Nazi officials and the cultural treasures they carried with them.
