Major Auction Houses Lead Nazi-Looted Art Restitution Efforts
Major auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's are driving restitution of Nazi-looted art, 25 years after the Washington Principles. Christie's launched 'Reflecting on Restitution' with events in Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, London, New York, and Tel Aviv, starting January 27 with a Raphaël Denis exhibition. Sotheby's will auction Vasily Kandinsky's 'Murnau mit Kirche II' (1910) in March 2023 in London, estimated at £45 million. The painting, looted from Jewish collectors Johanna Margarete and Siegbert Samuel Stern, was restituted from the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. Proceeds will fund research on other Stern collection works. The Washington Principles, non-binding guidelines from 1998, were championed by Stuart Eizenstat. Anne Weber's Commission for Looted Art in Europe has recovered over 3,500 objects.
Key facts
- Christie's launched 'Reflecting on Restitution' series starting January 27, 2023.
- Sotheby's will auction Kandinsky's 'Murnau mit Kirche II' in March 2023 in London.
- The Kandinsky painting is estimated at £45 million.
- The painting was looted from Johanna Margarete and Siegbert Samuel Stern.
- The work was restituted from the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
- Proceeds from the sale will fund research on other Stern collection works.
- The Washington Principles were established in 1998 by 44 countries.
- Stuart Eizenstat was the architect of the Washington Principles.
- Anne Weber's Commission for Looted Art in Europe has recovered over 3,500 objects.
- Christie's events will take place in Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, London, New York, and Tel Aviv.
Entities
Artists
- Vasily Kandinsky
- Raphaël Denis
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Lovis Corinth
- Odilon Redon
- Max Liebermann
- Edvard Munch
- Max Pechstein
- Thomas Mann
- Franz Kafka
- Albert Einstein
Institutions
- Christie's
- Sotheby's
- Van Abbemuseum
- Commission for Looted Art in Europe
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Vienna
- Austria
- Berlin
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Tel Aviv
- Israel
- Eindhoven