Report of Nazi-Looted Trove Puts Art World in an Uproar
THIS IS INSANE!!!!!!
A treasure trove of art confiscated or banned by Nazis has been uncovered. The collection, including hundreds of works by artists including Picasso and Matisse, were confiscated or sold by owners desperate to flee Hitler, and had been held for years by Cornelius Gerlitt. The owner's Munich home was raided by Bavarian authorities in spring 2011, and about 1,500 works, estimated at about
$1.4 billion were found. (YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY)
Critics in the art world say the authorities, who opened the case two years ago, should have come forward with the information immediately.
[The New York Times]
“They should have come out with this list pronto,” said Jonathan Petropoulos, the author of “The Faustian Bargain: The Art World in Nazi Germany.”
“That’s the way that restitution works,” Mr. Petropoulos added, calling it “unconscionable” that the authorities “sat on the trove for two and a half years,” particularly because it appeared to be an exceptionally large find.
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