An official request for legal assistance by the German government and with the involvement of the highest state authorities in Germany and Russia, a valuable Rubens painting belonging to the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG) has been recovered in Moscow. The painting in question is "Tarquinius and Lucretia" by Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640).
The oil painting, measuring 1.87 x 2.15 meters, was created around 1610/1611 and was originally displayed in the Sanssouci Picture Gallery in Potsdam (SPSG) before being moved due to wartime conditions. The painting has been listed on Interpol for several years and is one of the most significant losses of war for both SPSG and other German museums.
The artwork was likely acquired by the Great Elector or King Frederick I. Initially housed in a Berlin Castle, it moved to the New Palace in 1790 and, since 1930, was part of the Picture Gallery. Like other paintings from the gallery, it was relocated to Rheinsberg Castle in 1942 for protection against war damage. Since the end of the war, it was considered lost.
Art historians characterize the painting as a "spectacular work." For the SPSG, it holds a similar significance as Carravagio's "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" and two main works by Watteau, "The Signboard of Gersaint" and "Embarkation for Cythera."
The Director-General, Prof. Dr. Hartmut Dorgerloh, expressed gratitude to the German government and Russian authorities for their dedicated efforts in securing the painting: "This is the first step to reclaiming this highly significant masterpiece not only for the Prussian Palaces but also for the entire art world."
It remains uncertain when the painting will be repatriated to Germany.
Main Image :Peter Paul Rubens. Tarquinius and Lucretia (1610-1611).
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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