Christie's Paris Auction of Restituted Schloss Collection Old Masters

Christie's is auctioning seven Old Master paintings from the Schloss Collection, restituted to the heirs of Adolphe Schloss, in an online sale closing June 12, 2025. The collection of 333 Dutch and Flemish 16th-17th century works was confiscated by Nazis in 1943 and later looted from the Führerbau in Munich. After decades of restitution efforts, 162 paintings have been recovered; 171 remain missing. The seven lots include works by the Master of Griselda, Dominique van Tol, Karel de Moor, Ary de Vois, Willem Kalf, and Joost van Geel. Two paintings by the Master of Griselda were restituted in 2024, the van Tol in 2025, and the others also in 2025. Christie's Restitution department, led by Richard Aronowitz, Marc Porter, and Sarah Done, facilitated the returns. The auction also includes four paintings from the Galerie Matthiesen, restituted to the family of Franz Zatzenstein-Matthiesen in 2024. The story highlights the ongoing impact of Nazi lootings on the art market and the role of provenance research, including Christie's Lost Paris project.