Family is Reunited with Painting That was Taken From Them in WWII

Seventy years ago, a 474-year old work of Italian art was stolen from Gentili di Giuseppe, a wealthy Paris Jew. The painting is by Girolamo de Romanino, and depicts Jesus Christ in a robe, carrying the cross on his shoulder as a soldier dragged him. European families held it in private collections prior to Gentili’s ownership. When the Nazis came into France, Gentili’s heirs were able to flee, but couldn’t take the art collection and other valuables with them.

The French authorities auctioned off over 70 pieces of art and barred the family from reclaiming the artwork in 1941. Gentili’s heirs have since been trying to recover their grandfather’s art collection for years, and have managed to retrieve 20 pieces thus far, still leaving around 55 works of art still missing.

The Romanino painting that has just been recovered was found in what was formerly the Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Sciences in Tallahassee. When the painting was discovered, Interpol was brought in, they notified Homeland security, and they seized the painting in November. A federal judge ordered that the painting be returned to the family, and since the claim was uncontested, it was fastracked.

The family has decided to auction off the painting through Christies, because there are six heirs who all want the same piece of the painting – the copper-colored robe sleeve. Unfortunately, this case is not an isolated one – Many European Jewish families have yet to recover family heirlooms that were lost or stolen during World War II.

See Kathleen Haughney, Painting Looted in WWII Returned to Heirs of Owners, SunSentinel, Apr. 19, 2012.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.