Nazi-Looted 18th-Century Painting Recovered in Argentina After 80 Years

The Nazi-looted Portrait of a Lady was discovered successful an Argentine spot listing. Credit: Robles Casas & Campos

After 8 decades of uncertainty, a Nazi-looted 18th-century coating has been recovered successful Argentina. The artwork, wide reported arsenic “Portrait of a Lady,” surfaced successful a real property listing, bringing an unexpected extremity to its agelong absence.

Argentine authorities aboriginal confirmed the portion is Portrait of Countess Colleoni, painted by Italian creator Giuseppe Ghislandi. Both titles notation to the aforesaid work, which shows the countess successful a flower-embroidered gown wrong a aureate frame. The coating erstwhile formed portion of the famed Goudstikker Collection.

Goudstikker postulation and Nazi theft

The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands explained that the postulation included much than 1,100 works. Jacques Goudstikker, the Jewish creation trader who assembled it, died successful 1940 portion fleeing the Nazis.

The coating had not been seen publically successful 80 years. It reappeared past period erstwhile Dutch journalists spotted it hanging supra a velvet sofa successful a virtual circuit of a spot for merchantability successful Mar del Plata, a coastal metropolis astir 160 miles southbound of Buenos Aires.

Journalists credited with the discovery

Prosecutor Daniel Adler stated the coating was displayed connected Wednesday successful his office. He credited journalists and assemblage members with starting the investigation. “It was radical from the community, specifically journalists, who prompted the investigation,” helium said.

The squad of Dutch journalists discovered the artwork portion investigating Friedrich Kadgien, a elder Nazi authoritative who fled Germany and hid successful Argentina aft World War II.

During the regularisation of three-time President Juan Domingo Perón, fugitives from Hitler’s authorities arrived successful the state with looted Jewish property, including gold, slope deposits, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings.

News of representation recovery

The Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad was the archetypal to study connected the portrait’s recovery. The find was portion of a astir decade-long task by investigative journalists Cyril Roseman and Peter Schouten, on with researcher Paul Post.

According to the newspaper, the journalists contacted Patricia Kadgien aft recognizing the coating online, but received nary effect for weeks. The listing photograph was aboriginal replaced with an representation of a tapestry.

Raids pb to recovery

Authorities launched respective raids astatine properties linked to the Kadgien family. An archetypal hunt revealed nothing, but prosecutors yet recovered the artwork aft 4 raids this week. Patricia Kadgien and her husband, Juan Carlos Cortegoso, were placed nether location apprehension up of a proceeding connected charges of concealment and obstruction of justice.

ARGENTINA—The girl of Hitler’s fiscal advisor, who fled to Argentina, is present nether location apprehension with her hubby aft a coating her begetter stole during WWII has gone missing…AGAIN.

This communicative is perfectly caput blowing.

The coating was identified successful her listing. pic.twitter.com/Nacb6trkes

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) September 2, 2025

Adler told reporters that the couple’s lawyer handed implicit the coating connected Wednesday, but did not accidental wherever it would beryllium sent next.

Family continues hunt for collection

For Goudstikker’s family, the betterment is portion of a decades-long effort. “My hunt for the artwork of my father-in-law, Jacques Goudstikker, began successful the precocious 1990s, and I person not fixed up to this day,” his daughter-in-law, Marei von Saher, said.

“It is my family’s extremity to retrieve each artwork stolen from the Goudstikker postulation and to reconstruct Jacques’ legacy.”