Provenance Research at Musée d'Orsay: The Urgency of Restitution

Ines Rotermund-Reynard, provenance researcher at the Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie, discusses the urgent need to trace artworks looted during WWII. Her position was created three years ago. The term "MNR" (Musées nationaux récupération) refers to 2,200 artworks recovered from Germany after the war and entrusted to French national museums, though they do not belong to them. Of 100,000 looted works, 60,000 were recovered, 45,000 returned, leaving 15,000 unclaimed. The Musée d'Orsay holds 225 MNR works (142 paintings, 21 sculptures, 62 graphic works). A new permanent gallery, "À qui appartiennent ces œuvres?", opened in 2026, displaying 13 works with educational materials. It highlights the paradox that the art market thrived during the Occupation, with Drouot auction house and galleries achieving record sales. Hitler and Göring were major buyers. The gallery includes works by Renoir, Degas, Rodin, as well as copies and anonymous pieces. Fifteen MNR works have been restituted in the last 15 years, including a Sisley and a Renoir to the Schusterman family in 2024. AI now aids research, but international collaboration remains crucial. The 1998 Washington Conference set ethical guidelines, and a 2023 French law allows deaccessioning of proven looted works. A 2024 Cour des comptes report urged faster restitutions.