It was a seemingly hopeless quest to restore a family’s heritage that had a happy ending. The family of German-Jewish art collector Fritz Gutmann searched for his paintings for nearly 80 years. Gutmann and his wife were killed in German death camps after their art collection was taken, probably for Hitler’s use. Their grandson Simon Goodman (the family changed the spelling of the name), wrote a book about the search for his family’s looted art. Then, last year, Christie’s auction house was contacted by people who had possession of a painting they thought might have been part of Gutmann’s collection. Perhaps they wondered because of information in Goodman’s book? Christie’s identified the painting and it was returned to the heirs, who live in Los Angeles. Christie’s and the unidentified tipster indeed had the “Portrait of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony.” It was painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in the 16th century. Goodman and the portrait were reunited in New York City and it was decided that the painting will be sold April 19. It is expected to bring $1 to $2 million. Goodman has found only about a third of his family’s collection. That means there are many valuable masterpieces still waiting to be recovered.
Photo: © CHRISTIE’S 2018
If this had happened to my family I would never stop until I had found my family’s property. It was STOLEN and it’s owners were MURDERED!! How can anyone say differently? We must never ever forget and let people deny this happened. I do feel bad for the people who bought these artworks not knowing or perhaps believing a false paper trail forged in order to sell the artwork. But never-the-less it must go back. Sadly a lot of those families will probably have to sell it because they need the money.
I think some people are forgetting this man lost his family to horrible murderous madmen, pleural here. It took more than one to do this much harm in the world. No amount of money can ever make up for what was taken from him and his descendants. Its a miracle anyone at all survived in his family to go on and continue the family. There were thousands where the ENTIRE family line was slaughtered like rats. Perhaps this man did think it should be in a gallery for the world to see. We have no clue of his thinking. We also don’t know what this search is costing him. I imagine there are billions still out there never returned or discovered yet and that’s not counting the Amber Room and the treasures raped from the Russian empire. One of the biggest problems, the lack of cooperation of the German government. They still refuse access to many places where many things may be hidden.
It is there “inheritance” and was wrongly taken from them. A tragedy. It is theirs to do what they want. He spent the time and energy to find what was stolen from his grandfather. Not ours to know all the circumstances or say what he should do or how he should do it.
Reparations to the honest people in possession, (you cannot call them the owners) should come from the government of Germany and not from the Goodman family. What they do with the painting should be of no concern to anyone.
Money makes the world go ’round.
This is a response to the person who doesn’t think that it is right to sell a recovered artwork. The rightful owner has the right to do as he wishes with his own property. Perhaps he is using the money to fund his search for the rest of his looted property. To deny an owner of personal property the right to do as he wishes with that property is wrong!
Mr. Goodman states that the family has recovered a third of the original collection. How many two million dollar masterpieces can one display on the walls of one’s home? If the original owner bought the art collection as a family investment, to use as they see fit, then Mr. Goodman can do whatever he chooses with the masterpiece. As far as compensating the person or persons who recognized the painting as one of the original Gutmann collection, one does not purchase original art masterpieces without definite provenance. The painting will probably go on display in a prominent museum in the future for all to admire. Better than being stored in some vault. As for the money, perhaps some will be donated to some worthy Jewish cause, in memory of the Gutmann family and other victims of the Holocaust. In any event, Mr. Gutmann and his wife intended that the art collection be passed down to ensuing generations.
@rodan92 While you’re certainly entitled to your opinion, I wonder if you’d feel the same if the original owner had lived out his life, left his art collection to his children, and then THEY sold the paintings. I don’t know Goodman’s age, but most people today don’t want Old Masters hanging in their living rooms, no matter how valuable, and would rather have the money.
Yes, it would be nice if the honest people got something out of it, and they probably will, as they themselves presumably paid something for the work. but beyond that I believe it’s nobody else’s business what the Goodman family does with the money. I have some close connections with Holocaust survivors but I don’t think that’s really relevant. This family has suffered plenty; it’s despicable what the Nazis did – beyond all the murder, even – and the art should have remained in the family in the first place, unless at some point they may have wanted to sell it earlier. The who initially purchased it probably made a very smart buy and the family deserves to take advantage of it whole hog. Incidentally, I have an art history background and can well appreciate how this sort of art may become almost priceless.
I agree that I hope the people who returned it to the rightful owners were compensated for their honesty. We can’t judge what the money from the sale was used for. I hope that it will be purchased by a gallery so everyone can enjoy it and I’m sure that the money will be put to good use.
If the only reason they want to recover the paintings is to turn around and sell them for money, not recover them to restore them to the family archives, then I say they don’t deserve to have them back.
Note: my family lost most of our family to the camps, so I’m not some uninterested party….I have family that have “recovered” property only to do the same thing and I too think they wer wrong to do so.
But I hope that the people who returned the painting to Mr. Goodman will be reimbursed or rewarded for their honesty.