A couple of years ago Belgium announced it would publish the looted artworks in its public art collections on a central website.
The announcement came after journalist Geert Sels reported in De Standaard that 78 looted works of art returned to Belgium after the war remained unpublished.Since then the Royal Museums of Fine Arts has published on the internet a Cultural Goods Database - Second World War.
In this post we look at Belgium's Cultural Goods website and database.
1. Description of Belgium's Looted art site and database.
url: https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks
The site, called "Cultural Goods World War II", displays images prominently and lists the artists**.
There are links to the paintings and to information about them.
- There are 25 (or 26) artworks, each with a large, high quality image and a digital catalog description.
- Here, for example, is the page of Wing of an Altarpiece:
- 2. Analysis of the names of dealers and collectors mentioned in the provenance.
- Using Textrazor to extract automatically entities from the provenance texts, anyone familiar with the Nazi era art market will immediately recognise the names of numerous powerful Nazis well as art dealers place on the Red Flag Names List by the OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit in 1946 (along with at least one victim).
- Entities extracted by Textrazor
- /PEOPLE/PERSON
- Maurice Lagrand
- Kajetan Mühlmann
- Le Roy
- Andreas Hofer
- Heulens
- Paul Neuhuys
- Ehrenbreilstein
- Seiterich
- Jacques De Mul
- Walter Paech
- Goudstikker
- E. Renders
- Emile Renders
- A. Hofer
- Van Gelder
- Leo Van Puyvelde
- Edouard Plietzsch
- J. B. Bysings
- Pieter Smidt van Gelder
- Broermann
- Ruffo de Bonneval
- Göpel
- De Heuvel
- Jean de Bousies
- /BUSINESS/BUSINESS_OPERATION
- Dorotheum
- /GOVERNMENT/GOVERNMENTAL_JURISDICTION
- Amsterdam
- Munich
- /FILM/FILM_LOCATION
- Bruges
- Anderlecht
- /TV/TV_ACTOR
- Hermann Göring
- /LOCATION/DATED_LOCATION
- Berchtesgaden
- Cologne
- /LOCATION/LOCATION
- Fine art
- Uccle
- Carinhall
- Aussee
- Kamer
- Mitterseel
- Allied-occupied Germany
- (One cannot help but note that Textrazor places Hermann Göring in the "TV ACTOR category", probably because there are so many films which mention him.)
- 3. What did the Art Looting Investigation Unit say about Maurice Lagrand, Kajetan Mühlmann, Van Gelder, etc, etc, etc?
- Anyone who wants to know can find out immediately in three seconds:
- Go to the ALIU Final Report Red Flags Name List link, hit Ctrl-f (for "find") and enter a last name. The result appears immediately.
- https://www.lootedart.com/MVI3RM469661
4. WWII Provenances: together in a table
Here are the provenances of the artworks that the Royal Museums of Fine Arts listed on its Cultural Goods Database - Second World War.
Url | Artist | Dimensions | Inventory Number | Provenance |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/derick-baegert | Derick Baegert | 132 cm x 78,5 cm | 6586 | Former collection Ruffo de Bonneval, in possession of de Wynter, Bruges; purchased by Dr. Göpel in 1944 via Gaston Demeter for a sum of 1 million BF for the Linz Collection of A. Hitler; recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945 (Linz no. 3663); transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 7512); returned to Belgium (Department for Economic Recovery no. A.87); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/osias-beert | Osias Beert | 182 cm x 140 cm | 6588 | Sold in 1940 by the art collector Pieter Smidt van Gelder, Antwerp, to Kajetan Mühlmann for 14,000 Fl(orins), resold to A. Hitler for the Linz Collection, this collection was placed in the salt mines of Alt-Aussee (Aussee no. 2987), recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945 (Linz no. 1421), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 4338), returned to Belgium (Department for Economic Recovery no. A.63), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/osias-beert-1 | Osias Beert | 6591 | Sold on 12 December 1942 by the art collector Count Jean de Bousies to the Kulturverwaltung des Hansesstadt Hamburg for the Kunsthalle Hamburg for 25,000 RM, returned to Belgium from the British zone (Economic Recovery Service no. B.48), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/bohemian-school | Bohemian School | 44 cm x 34 cm | 6585 | Sold by the widow of the collector Van Gelder (Ukkel) together with six other paintings to Andreas Hofer on 13 May 1941 for a total sum of 220,000 RM. (A. Hofer was curator and purchaser for the art collection of Hermann Göring). This collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 883), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 5931), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.42), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/jan-i-bruegel | Jan I Bruegel Attributed to | 10 cm x 14 cm | 6594 | Sold in 1941 by the art collector Pieter Smidt van Gelder, Antwerp, to Kajetan Mühlmann for 14,000 Fl(orins), resold to A. Hitler for the Linz Collection, this collection was placed in the salt mines of Alt-Aussee (Aussee no. 3147), recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945 (Linz no. 2189), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 4498), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.72), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/pieter-ii-bruegel | Pieter II Bruegel Or workshop of | 6870 | Sold by the art dealer and restorer Jef Van der Veken, Brussels, on 3 May 1941 to Andreas Hofer for the sum of 22,000 RM. (A. Hofer was curator and purchaser for the art collection of Hermann Göring.) The Göring collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 305), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 5350), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.80), assigned in 1960 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/joos-van-cleve | Joos van Cleve Attributed to | 73 cm x 57 cm | 6587 | Sold by the art dealer Arens, Brussels, on 28 July 1941 via the intervention of Maurice Lagrand to Kajetan Mühlmann for 25,563.92 Fl(orins), resold to A. Hitler for the Linz Collection for the sum of 34,000 RM, this collection was transferred to the salt mines of Alt-Aussee (Aussee no. 2244), recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945 (Linz no. 1844), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 3494), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.59), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/german-school | German School Third quarter of the 15th century | 48 cm x 42 cm | 6601 | Purchased by Maurice Lagrand during the Occupation of Belgium and resold to the Dorotheum auction house, Vienna for the sum of 20,000 RM (Dorotheum no. 217.647/24), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. V.5), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/french-school | French school Second half of the 14th century | 30,3 cm x 21,7 cm | 6645 | Sale of the entire collection of paintings of the collector Emile Renders, Brussels and Bruges, via Jacques De Mul, Walter Paech, Alois Miedl (who had taken over the business of art dealer Goudstikker, Amsterdam, during the Occupation, no. 6049) to Andreas Hofer, purchased by Hermann Göring on 15 May 1941. This painting from the collection was not transferred from Carinhall but instead found its way to the Deutsche Landsvolksbank at Lenggries (Lenggries no. 13/21) from June 1942, recovered from there by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945, transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 15864/21), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.55), after the verdict in the trial of E. Renders assigned in 1952 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/lorenzo-di-niccolo-gerini | Lorenzo di Niccolò Gerini | 95 cm x 53 cm (x2) | 6595 - 6596 | Sold by the art dealer Paul Neuhuys, Brussels, to Kajetan Mühlmann; resold to Hermann Göring; this collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945; recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 510 and 537); transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. ? and ?); returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.32 and A.33); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/abraham-janssen-van-nuyssen | Abraham Janssen van Nuyssen | 107,5 cm x 97 cm | Sold in 1941 by the collector Broermann, via Maurice Lagrand to Kajetan Mühlmann, resold to Hermann Göring, this collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 389), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 5434), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.81), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/johann-heiss | Johann Heiss | 106,5 cm x 152 cm | 6599 | Sold in June 1944 by the widow of the collector Van Gelder, Uccle/Ukkel to Maurice Lagrand for 8,000 RM; resold at the Dorotheum auction house, Vienna for 30,000 RM on 29 July 1944; recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division; transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 33828); returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.97); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/jacques-jordaens | Jacques Jordaens | 6589 | Sold during the period of the War by the art dealer Moorthamers, Brussels to Kajetan Mühlmann for 230,000 BF (18,000 RM); recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in Mitterseel (no. 57/2); transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 30242/2); returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.341); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/quinten-massys | Quinten Massys | 47,5 cm x 34 cm | 6647 | Sale of the entire collection of paintings of the collector Emile Renders, Brussels and Bruges, via Jacques De Mul, Walter Paech, Alois Miedl (who had taken over the business of art dealer Goudstikker, Amsterdam, during the Occupation, no. 6049) to Andreas Hofer, on 15 May 1941 purchased by Hermann Göring. This collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 673), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 5721), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.48), after the verdict in the trial of E. Renders assigned in 1952 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/master-of-alkmaar | Master of Alkmaar | 60,8 cm x 41,8 cm | 6597 | Sold by the widow of the collector Van Gelder, Uccle/Ukkel, together with six other paintings to Andreas Hofer on 13 May 1941 for a total sum of 220,000 RM. (A. Hofer was curator and purchaser for the art collection of Hermann Göring). This collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 1109), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 6157, frame no. 7235), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.43), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/master-of-hoogstraten | Master of Hoogstraten Mentioned as Antwerp Mannerist in 1520 | 61 cm x 43 cm | 6646 | Sale of the entire collection of paintings of the collector Emile Renders, Brussels and Bruges, via Jacques De Mul, Walter Paech, Alois Miedl (who had taken over the business of art dealer Goudstikker, Amsterdam, during the Occupation, no. 6052) to Andreas Hofer, on 15 May 1941 purchased by Hermann Göring. This painting from the collection was not transferred from Carinhall but instead found its way to the Deutsche Landsvolksbank at Lenggries (Lenggries no. 13/22) from June 1942, recovered from there by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945, transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 15858), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.57), after the verdict in the trial of E. Renders assigned in 1952 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/hans-rottenhammer | Hans Rottenhammer Follower of | 6602 | Bought from the art collector Dr. Heulens, Anderlecht (Brussels) in 1941 for the sum of 8,000 RM. (A. Hofer was curator and purchaser for the art collection of Hermann Göring). This collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945 (Berchtesgaden no. 562), transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 5607), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.34), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/roelandt-savery | Roelandt Savery | 6590 | Purchased by Maurice Lagrand, Brussels, and resold by Kajetan Mühlmann to Hermann Göring for 3,000 RM in February 1941. This collection was transferred from Carinhall to Berchtesgaden in 1945, recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division at Berchtesgaden in 1945, transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 5888), mistakenly returned to France, returned from Paris to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. P.316), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/albert-saverys | Albert Saverys | 6603 | Purchased in Brussels in 1942 by Dr. Seiterich, Emmendingen, recovered in Emmendingen, returned to Belgium from the French Zone (Economic Recovery Service no. F.41), assigned to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/willem-schellinks | Willem Schellinks | 6598 | Sold during the period of the War by the art dealer De Heuvel, Brussels, to Kajetan Mühlmann for 4,000 RM; recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in the home of Mühlmann at Kamer/Attersee; transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 30245/1); returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.93); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/albert-servaes | Albert Servaes | 6604 | Purchased in 1942 for the city of Cologne during Flämische Kunst der Gegenwart, a sales exhibition of contemporary Flemish artists then touring Germany and organized by the Deutsch-Flämische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DEVLAG); recovered in Ehrenbreilstein; returned to Belgium by France (Economic Recovery Service no. F.43); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/adriaen-van-stalbemt | Adriaen van Stalbemt Mentioned as D. Vinckeboom | 54,5 cm x 78 cm | 6600 | Sold by the art collector Pieter Smidt van Gelder, Antwerp, to Kajetan Mühlmann for 7,000 Fl(orins), resold to A. Hitler for the Linz Collection, this collection was placed in the salt mines of Alt-Aussee (Aussee no. 3015), recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in 1945, transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 4366), returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.65), assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/hendrick-van-streeck | Hendrick Van Streeck | 7960 | Sold by the art dealer Le Roy, Brussels, to J. B. Bysings, Rotterdam, for 20,000 Fl[orins]; via Edouard Plietzsch resold to A. Hitler for the Linz Collection (Linz no. 397); recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division in the Munich Police Headquarters in 1945; transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 18056); returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.348); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/esaias-van-de-velde | Esaias van de Velde | 6593 | Sold in June 1944 by the widow of the collector Van Gelder, Uccle/Ukkel via the art dealer Maurice Lagrand and resold at the Dorotheum auction house, Vienna, for the sum of 40,000 RM on 29 June 1944 (Dorotheum no. 217.647/21); resold to A. Hitler for the Linz Collection for 70,000 RM; this collection was placed in the salt mines of Alt-Aussee on 20 November 1944 (Aussee no. 8748); recovered by the American Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division; transferred to the Collection Point München (Munich no. 33840); returned to Belgium (Economic Recovery Service no. A.98); assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. | |
https://cultural-goods-wwii.fine-arts-museum.be/en/artworks/lovis-corinth | Lovis Corinth | 81 cm x 66 cm | 6605 | Unknown collection, plundered by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) in Belgium, recuperated by Leo Van Puyvelde after the liberation of Brussels, transferred to the Economic Recovery Service and assigned in 1951 to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. |
5. Next step?
What provenance research is currently being done in Belgium concerning these looted artworks?
see:
Less Than a Month After the Louvre Hired a Nazi Loot Expert to Investigate Its Collection, She Found 10 Ill-Gotten Works Hiding in Plain Sight
-------
Statement by the Fine Arts Museum on its Provenance Webpage concerning the status of its WWII era provenance research
"In cooperation with the Commission of research and the Commission for compensation, the Royal Museums of Fine Art of Belgium reviewed the history of works in their collection with inconclusive provenance. During many years of research all existing sources were re-examined while recently available potential documents were tracked down to ascertain the works’ provenance. "
The survey was concluded leaving one work of indeterminate provenance: the owner of the painting Flowers by Lovis Corinth (1914, oil on canvas, 81 x 66, inv. 6605), prior to 1944, could not be traced. We would be most grateful if you can help us uncovering new objective evidence to reconstruct previous ownership of the work. If you wish to share any new information that may shed light on this problem of provenance, please contact us.
- https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en/provenance
_____
** Artists in WWII Provenance :
--.
- https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en/provenance
_____
** Artists in WWII Provenance :
- Derick Baegert
- Osias Beert
- Osias Beert
- Bohemian School
- Jan I Bruegel
- Pieter II Bruegel
- Joos van Cleve
- German School
- French school
- Lorenzo di Niccolò Gerini
- Abraham Janssen van Nuyssen
- Johann Heiss
- Jacques Jordaens
- Quinten Massys
- Master of Alkmaar
- Master of Hoogstraten
- Hans Rottenhammer
- Roelandt Savery
- Albert Saverys
- Willem Schellinks
- Albert Servaes
- Adriaen van Stalbemt
- Hendrick Van Streeck
- Esaias van de Velde
- Lovis Corinth
- Constant Permeke
- Roland Oudot
No comments:
Post a Comment