A historic painting looted by the Nazis nearly 80 years ago has been recovered in Argentina, according to international media reports.
Authorities in Argentina said the artwork, which went missing during the Nazi occupation of Europe, was recently found after appearing in a real estate advertisement. The discovery followed international efforts and a series of coordinated raids.
The painting is a portrait of a woman by Italian artist Giuseppe Ghislandi (1655–1743). It had been unaccounted for since the Second World War.
Last month, the artwork was seen hanging above a sofa in a house in Mar del Plata, around 400 kilometres south of Buenos Aires. The image appeared in a property listing.
The painting had belonged to Friedrich Kadgien, a financial adviser to Hermann Göring, a senior Nazi SS officer and convicted war criminal. Kadgien relocated to South America after the war.
According to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, the portrait was listed in a wartime lost art database. Its trail resurfaced when Kadgien’s daughter placed the advertisement for the property. However, when the house was searched, the painting was missing. Legal proceedings were then initiated.
