A piece of artwork looted by the Nazis has resurfaced in the home of the family of a Dutch SS collaborator, according to a report in The Guardian detailing the findings of an art detective.
Portrait of a Young Girl, by Dutch artist Toon Kelder, was in the collection of Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikker before it was taken when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands.
According to the report, the painting has hung in the home of Hendrik Seyffardt’s family for decades, leading to what art detective Arthur Brand describes as “the most bizarre case of my entire career”.
Brand was reportedly approached by a man who had only recently realized he was related to Seyffardt, who was one of the highest-ranking Dutch Nazi collaborators during World War II.
The man also revealed that the looted artwork had been hanging in the hallway of Seyffardt’s granddaughter’s home for years.
The granddaughter acknowledged to the unnamed relative that the painting had been stolen, but told him it was unsellable and asked him not to tell anyone, according to Brand.
The man told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that he felt ashamed that his family was displaying the painting and that “the painting should be returned to the heirs of Goudstikker,” which led him to contact Brand.
According to De Telegraaf, Seyffardt’s descendants had considered returning the painting after learning that it had been looted.
“I received it from my mother. Now that you confront me like this, I understand that Goudstikker’s heirs want the painting back. I didn’t know that,” another relative told De Telegraaf.
The Guardian detailed that Brand then launched his own investigation into the piece. He discovered that the painting had a Goudstikker label on it and a 92 carved into the frame. While searching the archives of a 1940 art auction at which some of the looted Goudstikker art was sold, he discovered that Portrait of a Young Girl was item 92 in the auction.
Brand concluded that Seyffardt had purchased the painting at the auction and passed it down to his family.
According to The Guardian, lawyers representing the Goudstikker family confirmed that the artwork was stolen and requested its return.
In a post on X/Twitter on Monday, Brand shared that Seyffardt’s family had handed the painting over to him and a journalist.