18th-century painting found after 80 years

4 Sep 2025 • 7:49 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

  • An 18th-century masterpiece, 'Portrait of a Lady' by Giuseppe Ghislandi, looted by Nazis during the Second World War, has been recovered in Argentina after 80 years.
  • The painting's whereabouts were revealed when a colour photograph of it surfaced in an online real estate listing posted by a daughter of Friedrich Kadgien, a fugitive Nazi officer.
  • The artwork originally belonged to Dutch-Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikker, whose descendants are still seeking to recover an estimated 1,100 paintings missing since the war.
  • After an initial raid found nothing, authorities conducted further searches, leading to the painting being handed over by Kadgien's lawyer, with Kadgien and her husband detained on charges of concealment.
  • The portrait, valued at approximately U$50,000 and dating to 1710, is currently being stored in a special chamber to prevent damage.

IN FULL