Museum in Switzerland to Pull Famous Paintings by Monet, van Gogh Over Nazi Looting Fears
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Loading... - Freya Hahn
- 03 Jul 2024
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The Kunsthaus Zurich Museum in Switzerland is set to remove five notable paintings from one of its exhibitions as part of an investigation into whether they were looted by the Nazis. This decision follows the release of new guidelines for handling art pieces that were stolen during World War II and have not yet been returned to their rightful owners.
The paintings under scrutiny are part of the Emil Bührle Collection, named after a German-born arms dealer who amassed wealth during World War II by manufacturing and selling weapons to the Nazis. The specific pieces being investigated include:
- "Jardin de Monet à Giverny" by Claude Monet
- "Portrait of the Sculptor Louis-Joseph" by Gustave Courbet
- "Georges-Henri Manuel" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- "The Old Tower" by Vincent van Gogh
- "La route montante" by Paul Gauguin
The foundation board for the Emil Bührle Collection expressed its commitment to finding a fair and equitable resolution for these artworks with the legal successors of the original owners, adhering to best practices.
Earlier this year, Switzerland, along with 19 other countries, agreed to new best practices proposed by the U.S. State Department for dealing with Nazi-looted art. These guidelines were issued to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Washington Conference Principles, which emphasize restitution for items that were stolen or forcibly sold during the Nazi era.
This development reflects a growing effort in the art world to address and rectify historical injustices related to art looted during World War II.
