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Tracking Looted Art 2: Sothebys Sales of Restituted Artworks as Data


The provenances of artworks Restituted to Jewish families  plundered by Nazis contain valuable information for the art historian and Holocaust scholar.

Questions:
  • Which transactions occur between the seizure/sale under the Nazis and the restitution?
  • Which names appear in these transactions?
  • How often do they appear?

Part of the series:  Tracking Nazi-looted art dealers: Restitutions as data


This post looks a a simple method for identifying the names of these buyers and sellers for further analysis. In this example, we look at the provenances of artworks sold at Sothebys after they were restituted to their original owners or their heirs.


Selection of artwork restituted to owners or their heirs that were subsequently sold through Sothebys.


VIEW DATASET 


Markup:

The owners who were persecuted by Nazis are marked in italics.
The date of restitution is underlined.
The names IN BETWEEN the data of loss and the date of restitution are highlighted in yellow.

This tagging or markup makes it easy to focus on the art market actors through whom the looted artwork passed before it was finally identified and restituted to the family of the spoliated Jewish collector.

The texts containing the names IN BETWEEN can then be analyzed using digital tools such as Voyant-Tools for word frequency (which names pop up most frequently with the looted art), Textrazor, OpenTapioca and other tools for entity recognition and matching, as well as the Looted Art Detector for flagging networks of names.

Focus is on artworks restituted AFTER 1948.

IN BETWEEN names include (selection)
  •  Dr M.H.H. Franssen, 
  •  Sonderauftrag Linz
  • Hans Posse
  • Central Collecting Point Munich, 
  • the Dutch State,
  • Raphaël Gerard
  • Galerie Bénézit
  • Hildebrand Gurlitt, 
  • Paris & Aschbach 
  • Cornelius Gurlitt
  •  Republic of France 
  • Auktionshaus Hermann Petschel, Breslau, 
  • Dr Cornelius Müller Hofstede
  • Schlesisches Museum der Bildenden Künste, Breslau
  • Galerie Vytvarného Umenì, Ostrava 
  • Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg
  • Gustav Rochlitz
  • Hans Wendland
  • Zacharias Birtschansky
  • Theodor Fischer, Lucerne
  • Bernhard A. Böhmer
  • Dr. Willi Raeber, Basel
  • Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne
  • Dr. Fritz Heer, Zurich
  • Galerie Welz, Salzburg
  • Museum der Moderne, Rupertinum, Salzburg
  • Alois Miedl trading as Jacques Goudstikker
  • Countess von der Goltz, Berlin
  • Paul Wallraf, Frankfurt;
  • Dr. Oskar and Ilse Mulert, Frankfurt;
  • Museum für Kunsthandwerk, later Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt (donation)
  • Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn
  • National Gallery, Prague
  • H. Bukowski
  • P. de Boer
  • Dienststelle Mühlmann
  • Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Stadtmuseum, Krems
  • Gemäldegalerie, Dresden
  •  Lionel Robert Abel Smith
  • F.C. Butôt, Sankt Gilgen
  • Sotheby Mak van Waay,
  • Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, Brussel
  • Martin Fabiani, Paris
  • Natasha [Fruma] von Fliegers (née Josefowitz)
  • Musée d'Orsay, Paris
  •  Arthur Goldschmidt, Berlin
  • William Randolph Hearst, California
  • Staatliches Museum, Berlin
  • Nationalgalerie, Berlin
  • Federal Chancellery, Bonn (on loan)
  • Dr. Kurt Otte, Hamburg 
  • Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
(not all names are listed yet)

(see table below)

DescriptionArtistTitleProvenance
Alfred Sisley;Les bords du Loing;signed Sisley (lower right);oil on canvasAlfred SisleyLes bords du LoingMax & Margarethe Heine, Leipzig (acquired by 1931. Confiscated in 1938 by the National Socialist Party and deposited at the Leipzig Museum der Bildenden Künste in 1942, inv. no. 1349);Private Collection, Europe (by descent from the above, restituted by the Leipzig Museum der Bildenden Künste in 1994. Sold: Sotheby’s, London, 28th June 1994, lot 9);Purchased at the above sale by the late owner
David Teniers the Younger;Boys blowing bubbles in an interior;signed upper right: D. TENIERS;oil on oak panel;31 x 25 cm., 12 1/4 x 9 7/8 in.David Teniers the YoungerBoys blowing bubbles in an interiorLouis-Jean-François Collet (1722–1787), Chevalier de l'Ordre de St. Michel;His posthumous sale, Paris, Lebrun, 14–23 May 1787, lot 36, where purchased for 1060 French Francs by;Charles-Alexandre de Calonne (1734–1802) or, or with, Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun (1748–1813);By whom sold, Paris, Lebrun, 21–30 April 1788, lot 48, for 1651 French Francs, to Duval;By whom offered, London, Christie's, 3 May 1806, lot 3, where unsold;J.L. Masson, Paris;By whom sold, London, Christie's, 30 May 1806, lot 8 for £3.3s to Woodburn;Princess Galitzin, Saint Petersburg;Antoon van Welie, The Hague, 1935;Jacob Hartog, The Hague;Confiscated from the above by Dr M.H.H. Franssen, The Hague, 1942;Acquired from the above for the Sonderauftrag Linz by Hans Posse (inv. no. 2456);Central Collecting Point Munich, 1945 (Inv. no. 3802);Restituted to the Dutch State, 1945;Restituted to the heirs of Jacob Hartog, New York, 1946;Anonymous sale, London, Christie’s, 19 March 1965, lot 9, for 1700 Guineas to Herzig;With Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna, 1965, from whom almost certainly acquired by the father of the present owner.
Paul Signac;Quai de Clichy. Temps gris;inscribed Op. 156 (lower right);oil on canvasPaul SignacQuai de Clichy. Temps grisMarié, Malmaison (exchanged with the artist for a bicycle) Delaporte, Malmaison;Félix Fénéon, Paris (acquired by 1925);Georges Bernheim, Paris;Gaston Lévy, Paris (acquired in April 1927);Lotté, Paris;Raphaël Gerard (acquired on 24th August 1943, inventory D 3233);A. de la Chapelle, Paris (acquired for 85.000 FFR, probably through Galerie Bénézit);Hildebrand Gurlitt, Paris & Aschbach (by December 1947 and probably from 1943);Cornelius Gurlitt, Munich (by descent from the above);Restituted by the estate of the above to the heirs of Gaston Lévy in July 2019
Francesco Guardi;A capriccio with figures at the edge of a lagoon;oil on panel;19.2 by 15 cm., 7 1/2 by 5 3/4 in.Francesco GuardiA capriccio with figures at the edge of a lagoonAlfred Lindon (Lindenbaum), Paris;Confiscated from the above by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg and deposited at the Jeu de Paume on 10th December 1940;Transferred to the Central Collecting Point Munich on 26 June 1945 (inv. no. 231/29);Restituted to the Republic of France on 31 July 1946;Restituted to Alfred Lindon (Lindenbaum), Paris, before February 1947;His sale, Paris, Galliéra, 9 June 1964 (with its pendant, lot 42 in this sale).
Francesco Guardi;A capriccio with a ruined Roman arch beside a lagoon;oil on panel;19 by 15 cm., 7 1/2 by 5 7/8 in.Francesco GuardiA capriccio with a ruined Roman arch beside a lagoonAlfred Lindon (Lindenbaum), Paris;Confiscated from the above by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg and deposited at the Jeu de Paume on 10 December 1940;Transferred to the Central Collecting Point Munich on 26 June 1945 (inv. no. 231/29);Restituted to the Republic of France on 31 July 1946;Restituted to Alfred Lindon (Lindenbaum), Paris, before February 1947;His sale, Paris, Galliéra, 9 June 1964, (with its pendant, lot 41 in this sale).
Carl Spitzweg;Der Hagestolz (The Bachelor's Outing);oil on panelCarl SpitzwegDer Hagestolz (The Bachelor's Outing)Direktor R. Zahn, Plauen (his estate sale, Hugo Helbing, Munich, 21 November 1917, lot 20);Dr Buiswanger (purchased at the above sale);Dr Henri Hinrichsen, Leipzig (acquired in 1935);Confiscated from the above, 16 November 1939;Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig;Restituted to the heirs of Henri Hinrichsen in 2002
Saint Philip;alabaster, with traces of polychromy on the face;43cm., 16 7/8 in.Saint PhilipGeheimrat Ottmar Strauss, Cologne;his forced sale Hugo Helbing Munich, 6-8 November 1934, lot 60 (as St. Philippus);with Paul Wallraf, Frankfurt;Dr. Oskar and Ilse Mulert, Frankfurt;bequeathed to Museum für Kunsthandwerk, later Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, 1951 (inv. no. Mu. St. 15);restituted to the heirs of Ottmar Strauss in 2014
a pair of large allegorical bronze groups of The Vintage and The Art of War;The Vintage signed: F. BERTOS F;bronze, on wood standsa pair of large allegorical bronze groups of The Vintage and The Art of WarBaron Alphonse von Rothschild (1878-1942), Vienna;Seized from the above and allocated for the Kunstmuseum Linz, 1938/9;Restituted to the Austrian government, Kremsmünster depot, 1945;Restituted from the above to Baroness Clarice von Rothschild, 1948;Sold thereafter to the consignor's family, thence by descent until Sotheby's, London, 9 July 2004, lot 80;Private collection, UK
Dirck Hals;Tric-Trac Players in an Interior;signed and dated, lower right: D Hals 1626;oil on panel;11 by 13 1/2 in., 27.9 by 34.3 cm.Dirck HalsTric-Trac Players in an InteriorBaron Anselm von Rothschild, Vienna (as " Drei spielende Kavaliere ");Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, Grüner Salon, Theresianumgasse, Vienna (inv. AR416);Seized from the above and allocated for the Kunstmuseum Linz (inv. 9349);Restituted to the Austrian government, Kremsmünster depot, 1946;Restituted from the above to Baroness Clarice von Rothschild, 1947;With Frederic Mont, New York, 1949;With Galerie Kraus, Paris, 1976;With Newhouse Galleries, New York;From whom purchased in 1978 by the family of R. Stanton Avery, New York;Sold ("Property from the R. Stanton Avery Foundation"), New York, Christie's, 22 May 1998, lot 170;There purchased by the present collector.
George Romney;Portrait of Mrs. Pringle, Née Miss Balneavis;half length wearing a white gown with a blue sash and bow at the neckline, a black shawl, and a pearl necklace and earrings;Rothschild inventory number on the reverse AR855;oil on canvas;30 by 25 in., 76.2 by 63.5cmGeorge RomneyPortrait of Mrs. Pringle, Née Miss BalneavisBaron Nathaniel von Rothschild (1878-1942), prior to 1903, Theresianumgasse, Vienna, thence by descent to;Baron Alphonse von Rothschild, by 1905, thence by descent to;Seized from the above and allocated for the Kunstmuseum Linz, 1938/9;Restituted to the Austrian government, Kremsmünster depot, 1945;Restituted from the above to Baroness Clarice von Rothschild, 1948, thence by descent to;Gwendolin de Rothschild, and thence by descent to the present owner.
Max Liebermann;Zwei Reiter am Strand nach links;(Two Riders on the Beach to the left);signed M. Liebermann and dated 1901 (lower right);oil on canvasMax LiebermannZwei Reiter am Strand nach links;(Two Riders on the Beach to the left)(probably) Kunsthandel Paul Cassirer, Berlin;David Friedmann, Berlin & Breslau (probably acquired from the above by 1905 and until at least 1939);Sale: Auktionshaus Hermann Petschel, Breslau, July 1942;Dr Cornelius Müller Hofstede of the Schlesisches Museum der Bildenden Künste, Breslau (acquired from the above and stored with the Schlesisches Museum under inventory no. 28321);Dr Hildebrand Gurlitt, Dresden and later Düsseldorf (acquired from the above in August or September 1942);Confiscated by the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives section from Dr Gurlitt’s storage at Schloss Aschbach, Bamberg and transferred to the Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point on 6th December 1945 (inv. no. WIE 1930);Returned to Dr Hildebrand Gurlitt on 15th December 1950;By descent to Helene Gurlitt, Düsseldorf in 1960;By descent to their son Cornelius Gurlitt, Munich;Restituted by the Estate of Cornelius Gurlitt to the heirs of David Friedmann in 2015
wool and silk tapestryA.S. Drey, Munich (forced sale: Paul Graupe, Berlin, 17th-18th June 1936, Nr. 488, illustrated in the catalogue);Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich;Restituted to the A.S. Drey heirs in 2012
Pablo Picasso;Compotier, mandoline, partition et bouteille;signed Picasso and dated 23 (lower right);oil and sand on canvasPablo PicassoCompotier, mandoline, partition et bouteilleAlphonse Kann, Paris (acquired before 1940);Confiscated from the above by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR Nr. KA 1059);Hermann Göring, Germany (on whose behalf traded by Gustave Rochlitz with Paul Petrides, Paris on 9th February 1942);Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris;Galerie Beyeler, Basel (acquired by 1976);Private Collection, Portugal;Private Collection, Switzerland;Heirs of Alphonse Kann, Paris (restituted by the above in 1998);Acquired from the above by the present owner
Oskar Kokoschka;ISTANBUL I;oil on canvasOskar KokoschkaISTANBUL IGalerie Paul Cassirer, Berlin (acquired from the artist on 11th February 1930);N. V. Amsterdamsche Kunsthandel Paul Cassirer & Co., Amsterdam (transferred from the above on 10th April 1931);Oskar Federer, Ostrava (acquired from the above probably through Neue Galerie, Vienna, in 1933);Seized by the Nazis in 1939;Galerie Vytvarného Umenì, Ostrava (by November 1943);Restituted to the heirs of Oskar Federer in 2007
Georges Braque;Nature morte à la corbeille de fruits;Signed G. Braque and dated 27 (lower left);Oil on panelGeorges BraqueNature morte à la corbeille de fruitsAlphonse Kann, Paris;Confiscated by Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (circa June-November 1940);Gustav Rochlitz, Hans Wendland and Zacharias Birtschansky (acquired from the above by exchange, 3 March 1941);Theodor Fischer, Lucerne (acquired from the above via Hans Wendland and Bernhard A. Böhmer by exchange and taken to Switzerland by Böhmer on 4 October 1941);Dr. Willi Raeber, Basel (acquired from the above, 16 March 1942);Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne (acquired from the above, April 1942);Dr. Fritz Heer, Zurich (acquired from the above);Restituted to the executors of Alphonse Kann's estate, London (7 July 1949);Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles;Alex and Rita K. Hillman, New York (acquired from the above, 1951);The Alex Hillman Family Foundation (a gift from the above 16 October 1968 and sold: Christie's, New York, November 05, 2008, lot 12);Acquired at the above sale
Jan Wijnants;Wooded evening landscape with a hunter and his dogs, another hunter on Horseback conversing with a peasant, a fishermen and a falconer carrying a hoop of falcons on a path, a wagon and other figures by a lake beyond;signed with initials lower left: J. W.;oil on canvas;59 7/8 by 75 1/4 in., 152 cm by 191.1 cmJan WijnantsWooded evening landscape with a hunter and his dogs, another hunter on Horseback conversing with a peasant, a fishermen and a falconer carrying a hoop of falcons on a path, a wagon and other figures by a lake beyondGraf von Stadion, Vienna;Jean Baptiste Baron Puthon (1773-1839), Vienna;His deceased sale, Vienna, Artaria && Co, 1840;There acquired by E. Netscher, Rotterdam;From whom acquired by Leonardus Pieter Klerk de Reus, The Hague, for 600 I., by 1842;Baron Anselm von Rothschild (1803-1874), Frankfurt-am-Main and Vienna (acquired from the above in 1845 for about 600 l. through the agency of Moritz Daniel Oppenheim and the dealer E. Netscher as part of a group of 35 paintings);Thence by descent to Baron Nathaniel von Rothschild (1836-1905), Vienna, until at least 1903;Thence by inheritance to his brother, Baron Albert von Rothschild (1844-1911), 1905;Thence by descent to Baron Alphonse Mayer von Rothschild (1878-1942), 1911;Confiscated from the above, 13 March 1938 (inv. no. AR 867) and allocated for the Kunstmuseum Linz;Munich Central Collecting Point;Repatriated to the Austrian government, and restituted to Baroness Clarice von Rothschild, November 30, 1947;Selected as a donation to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. 9100), 1948;Restored to the Rothschild family, March 1999,Their sale, London, Christie's, 8 July;1999, lot 218;There acquired by the present collector for $3,600,467.
Floris van Schooten;Kitchen Scene;signed with initials on the blade of the knife: FVS;oil on canvas;35 3/4 by 47 1/2 in., 91 by 120 cm.Floris van SchootenKitchen SceneWith Galerie van Diemen (Jakob and Rosa Oppenheimer), The Hague and Berlin, from at least 1925;Their forced liquidation sale Berlin, Paul Graupe, April 26-27, 1935, vol.II, lot 86;Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Lady"), London, Christie's, March 25, 1977, lot 92;Anonymous sale, London Phillips, Son and Neale, December 6, 1983, lot 27;Private collection, USA;Restituted to the heirs of Jakob and Rosa Oppenheimer in 2009.
Félix Vallotton;Femme couchée, 1905;signed and dated upper right;oil on canvasFélix VallottonFemme couchée, 1905Druet, Paris, no. 6325 (Le repos), (direct from the artist 1909);Gustave Kahn, Paris;Vente Me Rheims, Paris;Alphonse Kann, Paris;Confiscated from the above by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg in occupied Paris in October 1940 (inv. no. Ka 1057);Slated for transport to Nikolsburg in the German Reich on the 1 st August 1944, but the train never left Paris;Restituted to Alphonse Kann on the 11 th July 1947;Galerie Charpentier, 12th May 1950, no. 41 (Le repos);Rodrigues-Henriques, Paris, no. 308 (purchased at the above sale);Vente Me Loudmer, Paris, Drouot, 8th December 1986, no. 49;Galerie Vallotton, Lausanne, no. 12959 (purchased at the above sale);Marianne Vallotton, Pully;Claude Vallotton, Pully;Estate Claude Vallotton, Pully;Christie’s, Zurich, 21st March 2000, no. 108;Corporate collection, Switzerland
Jacob Salomonsz. van Ruysdael;Wooded Landscape with Herd Animals Resting by a Pond;signed lower left with monogram JvR in ligature;oil on panel;19 3/4 by 27 1/4 in., 50.2 by 69.2 cm.Jacob Salomonsz. van RuysdaelWooded Landscape with Herd Animals Resting by a PondH.J.A. Raedt van Oldenbarnevelt, The Hague;His sale (and others), Amsterdam, Frederik


This post first appeared on Open Art Data, please read the originial post: here

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Tracking Looted Art 2: Sothebys Sales of Restituted Artworks as Data

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