An El Greco from the collection of industrialist Julius Priester, and seized by the Gestapo during WWII, has been returned to its rightful owners.  Portrait of a Gentleman has traveled widely since its confiscation in 1944, turning up in galleries in Stockholm, New York and London before a European Commission for Looted Art claim led to its return.  “The story of the seizure and trade of this painting shows how much the art trade has been involved in the disposal of Nazi-looted art and how difficult it is for those who have been dispossessed to find and recover their property,” says Anne Webber, co-chair of the Commission. (more…)

Reporter Doreen Carvajal has published an article in the New York Times, detailing her independent efforts to track down the potential heirs to paintings lost or stolen during the Nazi occupation of much of Europe.  The search was inspired by the French government’s increased efforts to return confiscated paintings, and the legal challenges it faces.  The article also addresses a perceived indifference to the process of returning the works, which is in part caused by a need for thoroughly exhaustive research.  “There is no French omerta to refuse to return the paintings,” says Cultural Minister Aurélie Filippetti.  “On the contrary, I am committed to move faster and further.” (more…)

A Sotheby’s New York auction this coming Thursday will feature three works recovered by the famous “Monuments Men” after Nazi confiscation during World War II.  The works by Apollonio di Giovanni, Jean-Baptiste Pater and Francesco Guardi are expected to sell between $150,000 and $500,000, and bear rare markings from their Nazi owners.  “The front is an artwork, and the back is an artifact,” says Lucian Simmons, of Sotheby’s restitution department. (more…)