Lost painting looted by Nazis found hanging on wall in real estate listing

A Dutch news tip led investigators to a living room photo on a property listing — and ultimately to a painting taken by the Nazis during World War II. What began as an online sighting has become another chapter in the decades-long effort to return stolen art to the heirs of its rightful owners.

Authorities in Argentina moved quickly after a real estate agency alerted them, but the work had been removed from the wall by the time officers arrived. That snag set off coordinated raids across Mar del Plata, uncovering multiple artworks and pulling a long-hidden story about Nazi-era looting back into the light.

How a Real Estate Photo Sparked a Landmark Recovery

The recovery began when investigators in the Netherlands noticed a familiar canvas in a photograph used to market a house in Argentina. The newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, conducting an investigation into art stolen during the Nazi era, recognized the painting as one long listed in databases of missing works.

When the Dutch outlet contacted the local real estate firm, the agency immediately notified Argentine authorities. Police who arrived at the address found a tapestry replacing the artwork and signs — a hook and wall discoloration — that a painting had been removed. That prompted four synchronized searches across the Mar del Plata region, one of them at the home of relatives of a former Nazi official.

Portrait of a Lady: The Artwork and Its Origins

Artist and subject

The canvas identified by investigators is Portrait of a Lady, attributed to Vittore Ghislandi and believed to depict Countess Colleoni. Experts place the painting’s origin in the 1700s. The work had been registered for years on stolen-art lists tied to World War II plunder.

How it ended up in Argentina

Records and court filings say the piece was transported out of Europe by Friedrich Kadgien, a Nazi official tasked by the regime with moving valuables — currency, gems, and artworks — to neutral Switzerland during the war. Kadgien later relocated to Argentina in 1951, where he brought a cache of items with him, including the Ghislandi portrait.

Jacques Goudstikker’s Lost Collection and the Family’s Pursuit

The painting originally belonged to the Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, whose gallery holdings were looted amid the Nazi occupation. Goudstikker’s heirs have spent decades trying to locate and reclaim roughly 1,200 works that disappeared during that period.

• Goudstikker kept detailed records — a black notebook cataloging the paintings he tried to hide before fleeing Amsterdam.
• Some artworks were concealed in canal nooks; others vanished despite those efforts.
• His daughter, Marei von Saher, has continued the restitution campaign after his death, pursuing legal avenues and international cooperation.

Authorities believe Portrait of a Lady was sold or transferred under duress in 1944, a transaction typical of the coerced exchanges that stripped Jewish owners of their property. For the Goudstikker family, the painting’s identification in a real estate photo represented both vindication of their archival work and a rare tangible lead.

Police Operation in Mar del Plata: Seizures and Legal Moves

After the tip-off, local prosecutors coordinated simultaneous searches. Among the items seized were paintings and drawings that, according to court documents, may date back to the 18th century. Investigators say the art recovered in the raids could include more pieces tied to Nazi-era thefts.

At one residence, police found a tapestry covering the place where the portrait had hung. Despite the initial disappearance of the listed canvas, authorities eventually took custody of several works. The inhabitants of that house — identified in filings as Patricia Kadgien, the daughter of Friedrich Kadgien, and her husband, Juan Carlos Cortegoso — were placed under house arrest while investigators pieced together provenance and ownership.

• Real estate listing photo spotted by Dutch press
• Real estate agency notifies Argentine authorities
• Coordinated raids in multiple Mar del Plata locations
• Multiple artworks seized; tapestry found replacing portrait
• Property owners placed under house arrest; attorneys later delivered the painting to prosecutors

Legal and Emotional Stakes in Restitution Cases

Art restitution cases often hinge on paperwork, witness testimony and the painstaking work of comparing records across borders. Goudstikker’s meticulous inventory proved crucial in this instance — his notebook and other archival material have repeatedly helped link pieces to the original owner.

Marei von Saher expressed relief when the painting was confirmed in custody: that the work is no longer missing and is “in a safe and secure place,” she said through her attorney. The emotional weight of one recovered painting carries broader significance for families still searching for lost heirlooms.

Why This Recovery Matters Beyond a Single Work

Experts estimate the total value of items confiscated from Jews during the 1940s at the time was roughly $2.5 billion; adjusted for inflation and current markets, those holdings could be worth close to $25 billion today. The Ghislandi portrait is a small but symbolically powerful part of that larger cultural and financial legacy.

Recovering and restituting art is about more than money. These efforts seek to correct historical wrongs and restore cultural heritage to survivors and their descendants. Each returned painting can spark renewed attention to other missing works and to the legal and diplomatic mechanisms needed to resolve them.

What’s Next: Ongoing Investigations and Cross-Border Cooperation

Prosecutors continue to build provenance records for the seized items and to determine which works may be subject to restitution. International collaboration — from Dutch researchers and press to Argentine law enforcement — played a pivotal role in this case and will remain essential as authorities pursue additional leads.

For now, one canvas has been reclaimed from a long exile, traced back through wartime transactions and decades of silence to the living room of a real estate listing that finally revealed its location. The discovery underscores how modern tools — journalism, online property photos, and cross-border legal frameworks — are reshaping the hunt for art looted during World War II.

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Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson is an experienced journalist covering U.S. and global news. With ten years on the front lines, he breaks down political and economic stories that matter. His precise writing and keen attention to detail help you grasp the real‑world impact of every event.