New Evidence Reveals French National Museums' Complicity in Nazi-Era Art Spoliation
A recent study underscores the involvement of French national museums in the confiscation of art owned by Jewish individuals during the Nazi Occupation. Notable updates include the inauguration of an MNR room at the Musée d'Orsay and the identification of 22 Rothschild porcelain items that have yet to be returned at the Musée national de Céramique. The Mobilier National hosted a symposium focused on seized artworks. The Musée d'Orsay plans to exhibit approximately 15 of its 225 MNR pieces each year, with the inaugural showcase aiming to address common misconceptions about MNRs. During the 1941 symposium, Jacques Jaujard advised Sèvres curators to secure Rothschild items without plans for their return. Furthermore, 13,000 unclaimed artworks sold in the 1950s present restitution challenges, including a recently withdrawn Van Goyen from auction.
Key facts
- Musée d'Orsay opened a dedicated MNR room displaying about 15 of its 225 MNR works annually.
- 22 Sèvres porcelains from Henri de Rothschild's collection were found at the Musée national de Céramique and are being restituted.
- A symposium at Mobilier National on June 9 revealed curators' efforts to prevent restitution of sequestered artworks.
- Jacques Jaujard directed Sèvres curators in 1941 to preempt Rothschild pieces using a 60-million-franc budget.
- René Huyghe feared acquiring the Rothschild collection en bloc would facilitate total restitution.
- Rothschild racing colors on crates at Montauban were painted over to hide provenance.
- 13,000 unclaimed works sold by the Domaines in the early 1950s may still be subject to restitution claims.
- A Van Goyen painting at Christie's was suspended from sale pending negotiation over its provenance.
Entities
Artists
- Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
- Paul Cézanne
- Auguste Renoir
- Auguste Rodin
- Edgar Degas
- Claude Monet
- Georges de Lafage-Laujol
- Arthur Morel
- Vincent van Gogh
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- Jan van Goyen
- Louis-Nicolas Van Blarenberghe
- Louis Roucel
Institutions
- Musée d'Orsay
- Musée national de Céramique
- Mobilier National
- Musées Nationaux
- Musée du Louvre
- Château de Versailles
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- Christie's
- Connaissance des Arts
- Commission pour l'indemnisation des victimes de spoliations (CIVS)
- Mission de recherche et de restitution des biens culturels spoliés entre 1933 et 1945
- Galerie des Gobelins
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Sèvres
- Montauban
- Linz
- Austria
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Amsterdam
- Saint-Rémy-de-Provence