ArtDependence | Nazi Looted Painting During WWII Returns to Poland from Japan

Friday, June 2, 2023

A priceless 16th-century Italian painting, “Madonna with Child” by Alessandro Turchi, that was looted by Nazi Germany during World War II and discovered in Japan, has been returned to Poland.

This painting represents one of the 600 looted artworks that Poland has managed to successfully bring back to its rightful place. However, there are still over 66,000 items classified as war losses that remain missing and unrecovered.

The Polish minister of culture and national heritage announced that the painting “Madonna with Child” was identified at an auction in Tokyo in January 2022 using special computer tools utilized by the employees of the Department of Cultural Heritage Restitution at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

During the briefing, Professor Piotr Gliński expressed that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, immediate contact was established. He further stated that the ministry staff’s expertise and efforts led to a successful resolution and a positive outcome.

Culture Minister Piotr Glinski, speaking to reporters in Warsaw, revealed that the baroque painting was included in the German list of 521 valuable artworks looted during their occupation of Poland from 1939 to 1945.

Explaining the history and the need for restitution was not an easy task, he acknowledged. However, through negotiations with the Japanese side, “Mainichi Auction Inc.” and the possessor of the painting, a decision was made to return the “Madonna with Child” to Poland.

According to the earliest known archival document, titled the “Inventory of Oil Paintings, Engravings, Medallions, and Weapons in Henryk Lubomirski’s Palace in Przeworsk” dated 1823, it is confirmed that the painting “Madonna with Child” was present in Polish collections. The document identifies the previous owner as Stanisław Kostka Potocki, who likely acquired the artwork during his trips to Italy between 1772 and 1797.

During the onset of World War II, the painting was housed in the Lubomirski Palace in Przeworsk, which was under German occupation. The palace contained various collections, including a gallery of paintings and sculptures, an armory, and a family archive.

Unfortunately, during the war, the painting was taken to Germany, and its location was subsequently lost. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the artwork resurfaced and was sold at an auction in New York.

Image : Twitter @PLinTokyo