A painting stolen by Nazis from a Jewish art collector in the Netherlands during the Second World War has been discovered in the home of descendants of a notorious Dutch SS collaborator, according to art detective Arthur Brand.
The artwork, a Toon Kelder piece titled Portrait of a Young Girl, is believed to have been kept for decades by the family of Hendrik Seyffardt, reports BBC.
The painting originally belonged to Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Jewish collector who died in 1940 while fleeing the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, leaving behind a collection of more than 1,000 works.
The case was brought to light after a descendant of Seyffardt – a Dutch general who led a Waffen-SS volunteer unit on the Eastern Front before his 1943 assassination – contacted Brand.
The relative reportedly expressed being “disgusted” upon learning the history of the artwork his family had retained. He stated that his grandmother previously admitted the work was “Jewish looted art” stolen from Goudstikker and warned him it was “unsellable” and should remain a secret.
While the family changed their name after the war and initially denied knowing the painting’s true origins in a public statement, the descendant told the Dutch outlet De Telegraaf that he felt “ashamed” and believed the work should be returned to Goudstikker’s heirs.
The grandmother later claimed she received the painting from her mother and had not realised the heirs were seeking its return. Following the tip-off, Brand’s investigation uncovered a label and the number 92 etched into the painting’s frame. Searching the 1940 archives of an auction where Goudstikker’s looted collection was sold, the detective identified item 92 as the Kelder portrait.
Brand believes the painting was plundered by high-ranking Nazi official Hermann Goering before being sold to Seyffardt at auction. Lawyers for Goudstikker’s heirs confirmed the collector had owned six paintings by Kelder, all of which were included in the 1940 sale.
The detective described the discovery as the “most bizarre case” of his career, noting that while such a piece could be worth tens of thousands, the sale of looted art is generally illegal internationally as works are considered to have been sold under duress. He observed that the family, who bear no personal guilt for Seyffardt’s crimes, had held the painting for decades despite opportunities to return it.
Brand has since confirmed that the painting has been handed over to his team.
