From Göring to Buenos Aires: Stolen Art Emerges in Real Estate Photos
A baroque portrait stolen by Nazis from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker has been discovered in Argentina through real estate photos, reigniting hopes for art restitution.
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A Masterpiece Above the Sofa
It looks like an ordinary real estate listing: photos of a seaside home in Argentina, rooms neatly staged for buyers. But in one frame, hanging above a sofa, Dutch journalists spotted something extraordinary: a missing baroque portrait looted by the Nazis more than 80 years ago.
The work, Portrait of a Lady (Contessa Colleoni) by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi (known as Fra’ Galgario), was stolen in 1940 from Jacques Goudstikker, a Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam who fled the Nazis and died while escaping.
From Göring’s Loot to South America
After Goudstikker’s death, his vast collection, over 1,100 works, was seized in a forced sale by Hermann Göring, Hitler’s right-hand man and an obsessive art collector. Some pieces were later recovered, but Portrait of a Lady was never returned.
Dutch newspaper AD traced the painting to Friedrich Kadgien, a Nazi officer close to Göring, who fled Europe after the war and resettled in Brazil, then Argentina. Kadgien built a new life, but the art followed him.
The Accidental Discovery
For years, AD reporters tried unsuccessfully to get Kadgien’s descendants to talk about their father’s past. Then, in a twist of fate, a journalist noticed the family home was listed for sale. Scrolling through the online photos, the unmistakable portrait appeared above the living room sofa.
Art historians consulted by the paper say the composition and details match perfectly with wartime records, though physical examination is still required to confirm.
The Search for Justice
The Goudstikker estate has been fighting for decades to recover the family’s stolen art. In 2006, more than 200 works were restored to Jacques’ daughter-in-law, Marei von Saher. Now 81, she says she will not stop.
“My family aims to bring back every single artwork robbed from Jacques’ collection, and to restore his legacy,” von Saher told AD.
A Legacy Still in Limbo
This is not just about a painting. It is about memory, restitution, and accountability. A single photograph in an estate listing has reopened a story spanning continents, families, and generations.
Whether Portrait of a Lady finally returns to the heirs of its rightful owner may depend on what happens next in Buenos Aires.