A work of art that was looted by a Nazi organisation from a Jewish couple during World War II has been returned to the heirs of the rightful owners.
For the first time in Belgian history, a museum returned an artwork – in this case, the painting "Flowers" by expressionist painter Lovis Corinth dating back to 1913 – that was looted by the Nazi party organisation Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) in Belgium.
The rightful owners, a Jewish couple Gustav & Emma Mayer, were identified after years of research and the launch of a website dedicated to looted art. On Thursday, around 80 years after it was looted, the painting was returned to the heirs of the couple by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (KMSKB).
"This is an important symbolic moment, full of emotion. It is of course sad to see a work leave museum collections, but we are also happy and moved that this painting is finally back in the hands of its rightful owners," Michel Draguet, general director of the museum, said.
"Flowers" by expressionist painter Lovis Corinth. Credit: KMSKB
The painting was handed back in the presence of Thomas Dermine, State Secretary for Science Policy, who added that it was a signal that, "even decades later, justice can prevail."
Museum of the future
The work of art was recovered by art historian Leo Van Puyvelde after the liberation of Brussels and was transferred to the Economic Recovery Department, which entrusted it to the KMSKB in 1951, 71 years ago.
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The KMSKB is opening two new exhibition rooms in this context to become a thinking laboratory that allows us to help build the museum of tomorrow.
One of these rooms will contextualise the subject of cultural goods looted during WWII, while the other examines questions of colonialism and diversity in a scientific way, with the question of the modification of titles at the heart of it.
