Musée d'Orsay Opens First Permanent Space for Nazi-Looted Art

On May 5, 2026, the Musée d'Orsay inaugurated a permanent exhibition space dedicated to artworks looted during World War II that remain unclaimed by their owners or heirs. Located in the Pavillon Amont, the room is titled "À qui appartiennent ces œuvres ?" (Whom Do These Works Belong To?). It features 13 works by artists including Auguste Rodin, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Eugène Boudin, as well as lesser-known artists. The museum holds 225 additional MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération) pieces. This follows the Louvre, which opened dedicated rooms in 2017–2018 in the Richelieu wing. Of the 61,000 cultural goods recovered after the war, 45,000 were returned; 2,143 were entrusted to French museums as MNR, of which 180–200 have since been restituted. France has recently simplified restitution procedures, including a 2019 provenance research mission and a 2023 law facilitating restitution of unregistered looted works. However, obstacles remain abroad, including in the United States, Austria, and Poland, where a 2021 law limits restitution.