“Portrait of a Lady” by Vittore Ghislandi, exposed on the wall of the room of a chalet put for sale in Argentina
The Argentine authorities are looking for an eighteenth -century Italian portrait looted 80 years ago to a Jewish collector by a fugitive Nazi officer who settled in Argentina after World War II. The painting appeared in a cottage ad – and disappeared in the meantime.
A painting by the Italian artist Ghisland’s victor (1655-1743), stolen during World War II in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was discovered in Argentina at the home of a former German army commander-before disappearing again.
To work, “Portrait of a lady“, Originally belonged to the collection of the merchant and collector Jewish Jacques Goudstikkerwho died in 1940 while fleeing the Nazis, and mysteriously disappeared, as happened with many works of art at the end of World War II.
According to the Dutch newspaper, Hermann Göring And other Nazis acquired much of his collection, which contained over 1,000 works of art at very low prices.
Recently, the work was seen in a Announcement of a Real Estatewhich promoted the sale a chalet in Mar del Plata, resort on the Atlantic coast of Argentina, which belongs to Former Officer Nazi Friedrich Gustav Kadgienwho died in 1978.
The painting of the Italian artist was discovered by a journalist from Algemeen Dagblad who investigated the destination of stolen art works. In an Internet search, he found the stolen picture, exposed on the room wall From the chalet, announced by real estate Robles Casas & Campos – who in the meantime withdrew the announcement.
The journalist, who in early August moved to Argentina to investigate the case, was not received by Patricia Kadgiethe daughter of former Nazi officer who had put the property for sale. He then decided to denounce the case to the Argentine authorities.
“There is no reason to think it could be a copy,” two Dagblad told two experts from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. “The image of the picture and its proportions are so clear that There is no doubt that it is the stolen piece by the Nazis ”.
According to, the Federal Police Argentina conducted on Tuesday searches in the property, but arrived too late. The agents did not find the work of art, and noticed that the arrangement of the furniture had changed in relation to the photography released by the real estate.
“The painting is not in the house“The prosecutor told the Argentine newspaper Carlos Martínez adding that in his place was a tapestry. “Of course, where we found a tapestry before, not long, There was something else“.
Considered the most important financial expert of Adolf Hitler, he was one of the most sought after Nazis by the allies after World War II. Before fleeing to Argentina, he lived in Switzerland, where he became Money Laundering Specialistwith operations in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
