A painting stolen by the Nazis that was spotted in an Argentinian estate agent's advert has vanished, according to a prosecutor following a raid on a home.
'Portrait of a Lady' by Giuseppe Ghislandi was featured hanging above a sofa inside a property near Buenos Aires, being sold by the daughter of a senior Nazi who fled Germany post-World War Two.
However, when police raided the house this week, no painting was found, although federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez reported that two weapons were seized. Martínez suggested the case might involve an alleged cover-up of smuggling, as reported by Argentinian daily Clarin.
Evidence gathered indicates the painting was removed shortly after it gained media attention. The furnishings were rearranged, and a large rug with horse patterns replaced the portrait on the wall.
Often depicted as a piece of cultural heritage, 'Portrait of a Lady' was once part of the collection belonging to Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, whose collection was forcibly sold by the Nazis after his death. Some of these works were eventually returned and displayed as part of the Dutch national collection in Amsterdam.
After 80 years of obscurity, the painting's resurgence was closely tied to the senior Nazi's family's attempts at selling a property, making offers of recovering looted historical assets more pressing.
Though the investigation initially strengthened due to documents pointing to its previous possession by Friedrich Kadgien, an SS officer, efforts to locate and reclaim the artwork remain thwarted as communication with the family fails. Kadgien’s successor daughters reportedly downplayed the significance of both the painting and other artworks associated with their father’s past.
Goudstikker's estate remains vigilant, striving to reclaim all artworks stolen from his collection, with sole-surviving heir Marei von Saher emphasizing her family's resolve to maintain his legacy and restore the paintings to their rightful owners.
