Showing posts with label art provenance red flags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art provenance red flags. Show all posts
May 8, 2021
Linz ALMAS
Maria Almas-Dietrich: Nazi art looter
"Art dealer; personal friend of Hitler, and for a time his principal buyer of works of art. One of the most important purchasing agents for Linz. Was under house arrest at Grafing, Bavaria, autumn 1945."
- ALIU 1946 Final Report
Art historians, "Almas" in a provenance text means: dig deep.
The probability of Nazi looting is high.
Below, artworks from the DHM Linz database that contain "Almas" in the provenance.
Dec 27, 2018
Hermann Voss
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| Visualising the networks of Herman Voss (data source: Art Looting Investigation Unit Final Report List of Red Flag Names 1946) |
In the fall of 1945, the Office of Strategic Services Art Looting
Investigation Unit interrogated Dr. Hermann Voss.
Voss had been the Director of the Dresden museum, the Director of Hitler's planned Linz museum and the head of the Linz Special Commission, which rounded up artworks for Hitler.
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| Hermann Voss: Art Looting Investigation Unit Detailed Interrogation Report Number 12 September 15, 1945 |
Despite concluding that Voss was the "official chiefly responsible for Hitler’s looting and purchasing policies after 1945" and notes that "VOSS' character is vacillating, and that he is an extraordinarily conceited and ambitious man" , the investigators seemed to hold a surprisingly tolerant view of this art professional. "His anti-Nazi options were well known," DIR No. 12 states.
"Among those who have testified to this effect, under specific interrogations, are LOHSE and BORCHERS (both of the Einsatzstab Rosenberg staff), and the dealers Wolfgang GURLITT, Hildebrandt GURLITT, and HABERSTOCK (chief dealer to POSSE and an enemy of long standing to VOSS.)
These character testimonies leave one a little breathless.
Bruno LOHSE? Hildebrandt GURLITT? Karl HABERSTOCK?
What does it mean to find the name H. Voss, Herman Voss, Hermann Voss, or Dr Hermann Voss in a provenance or in a bibliographical reference for an artwork?
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| "Concerning the Einsatzstab Rosenberg, VOSS repeatedly denied ever having heard of it before March 1943..." - OSS ALIU DIR 12 Hermann Voss |
Voss was arrested and interrogated by the Office of Strategic Services Art Looting Investigation Unit for his role in looting art for Hitler during the Nazi era.
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| "Hermann Voss insisted that the offer came to him entirely as a surprise" |
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| "When he met HITLER at Rastenberg..." |
Voss appears in the Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List 19 times and had a Detailed Interrogation Report (DIR number 12) dedicated to him:
(Detailed Intelligence Reports (DIR): consist of reports dealing with the activities of various agents employed by Hitler, Göring and Rosenberg to acquire artworks for them in Axis-occupied countries.)The ALIU Final Report of 1946 summarized VOSS' activities as follows:
"Voss, Dr Hermann. Munich. Director of the Linz Special Commission, the Linz Museum, and the Dresden Gallery from May 1943. Involved in the Schloss and Mannheimer collection (forced) sales, and the official chiefly responsible for Hitler’s looting and purchasing policies after 1945. In custody US 3rd Army, Munich, September 1945." |
| "Purchases for Linz outside Germany were made by VOSS' specially appointed agents,...Hildebrandt GURLITT, GOEPEL, and HERBST (of the Dorotheum, Vienna) were the most important" |
The ALIU Final Report of 1946 linked VOSS to the following art dealers and Nazi personal:
Posse, Prof Dr Hans (deceased). Formerly Director of the State Picture Gallery, Dresden. Was appointed by Hitler as Director of the Special Commission for Linz in 1939, and became the most important official purchaser of works of art for Germany from 1939 through 1942. Died Dresden, 7 December 1942. Succeeded by Voss.
Goepel, Dr Erhard. Leipzig, Stieghtstrasse 76. Official Linz agent and buyer in Holland under Posse and Voss. Bought extensively in Holland and also travelled frequently in Belgium and France. Negotiated the forced sale of the Schloss Collection in Paris. Chief contacts: Vitale Bloch (Holland), Wuester, Wandl and Holzapfel (Paris).
Hoogendijk. Amsterdam, Kaizersgracht 640/Roemorvischerstraat 34. Prominent dealer who sold to Miedl, Hofer, Posse, Muehlmann and Voss during the occupation. Close friend of Friedlander and Schneider. Contact of Nathan Katz. Goering frequently visited his shop.
Mandl, Victor. Paris, 9 rue du Boetie. German refugee dealer, formerly active in Berlin. Highly important figure in German art purchases in Paris. Close contact of Wendland, Dietrich, Voss, Goepel, Muehlmann, Lohse, Loebl, Perdoux, Birtschansky and Wuester. Indicted by French Government for collaborationist activity.
de Boer, Pitt. Amsterdam, Heerengracht 512. Important and active dealer. President of the Dutch Dealers Association since Goudstikker’s death. Acquired Swiss as well as Dutch nationality early in the war, and visited Switzerland during the occupation. Discovered the first in the series of false Vermeers by van Meegeren. Close contact of Hofer, Muehlmann, Posse, Voss, Lohse and Miedl.
Grosshennig. Chemnitz, Rossmarkt 11 Annaberg (?). Director of Galerio Gerstenberger. Active as buyer in France. Held Linz certificate signed by Voss. In touch with Postma, Fabiani, Mandl, Boehler and Plietzsch.
Gurlitt, Wolfgang. Bad Aussee, Austria. Cousin of Hildebrandt Gurlitt. Former Berlin dealer. Close contact of Voss. Not seriously implicated in looting transactinos or purchases for German officials.
Pat-Zaade, Dr Robert. Berlin/Zehlendorf. Collector-dealer, active in Paris and Berlin. Sold to Lohse and in contact with Voss.
Reimer, Dr Gottfried. Dobeln, Saxony, Grimaisschestrasse 23. Administrative assistant to the Director of the Linz Commission from June 1941 until the end of the war, first under Posse, later under Voss. Not a Party member, and involved in only one known looting operation.
Schilling, Georg. Zurich, Spuelgenstrasse 6 Cologne, Komoedienstrasse 39 Markelfingen/Bodensee. Art dealer. Chief buyer for Linz in Belgium under Voss, who gave him a Linz certificate. Also active as agent for Goering.
Waldner, Josef. Art dealer, employed occasionally as agent by Voss. Contact of Mohnen. Active in France.
Weber, Walter. Bonn. Wealthy collector and close friend of Voss. Held a Linz travel certificate. Purchased six minor pictures in Paris for Linz.
Zinckgraf. Formerly bookkeeper and manager of the Bernheimer Gallery, Munich. Later became its owner. Sold to Voss for Wiesbaden.
Schmidt, Ernst. Berlin. Friend of Voss, active in acquiring objects for Linz in Germany.
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| "Voss complains of the abruptness of his reception..." OSS ALIU DIR 12: Hermann Voss |
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| "the part played by Hermann VOSS in HITLER's scheme of things in not altogether clear." |
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| "During a month of interrogation, he (VOSS) impressed his several questioners very unfavourable. It was their unanimous opinion that VOSS' character is vacillating, and that he is an extraordinarily conceited and ambitious man. His constant reliance on failure of memory to explain discrepancies in his testimony did not improve the atmosphere of the interrogations." |
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Aug 1, 2018
Bathsheba and the Red Flag Names
The provenance or ownership history of the 17th century Bathsheba at the Norton Simon museum contains several dealers who were flagged in 1946 for their involvement in the Nazi looted art market.
Bathsheba
Provenance:
Stephan von Auspitz, Vienna, in 1931/1932;
[Sanct Luca, Vienna, 1931 to];
Daniel George van Beuningen, Rotterdam by 1932.
[Kurt Walter Bachstitz Gallery, The Hague, 1932 as Maes].
Hans Ludwig Larsen (d. 1937), Noordwijk and Wassenaar, by descent to;
Mrs. H. L. Larsen (S. Larsen-Menzell, later called Mrs. Frank E. Brower); (sale, The Hague, van Marle &Bignell, 25 January 1943, no. 48, sold before the sale on 14 January 1943 to);
E. Göpel for the Führermuseum, Linz; bought through Posse by Hitler 1 March 1943;
Recovered and returned to Dutch government; after lengthy negotiations, Larsen’s estate refused restitution and the painting reverted to the government (sale, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 13-19 March 1951, no. 52, ill., as Maes, La Baigneuse);
[Martin B. Asscher, London, 1953].
W. A. Hofer, Berlin 1953.
Ch. van Spaendonck, Tilburg.
[Gebr. Douwes, Amsterdam 1968; sold 1969 to];
The Norton Simon Foundation.
Names mentioned in the provenance include: Bachstitz - Bignell -Göpel - Posse - Hitler - Muller - Asscher - Hofer - Douwes - Norton Simon.
In 1946, the Art Looting Investigation Unit had this to say:
Bachstitz, Kurt Walter. Basle The Hague, Surinamestr 11 (former). Jewish dealer, active formerly in Berlin, Munich and Amsterdam. Brother-in-law of Hofer, and his former employer. Although on bad terms, Hofer obtained an exit visa from Holland to Switzerland for him, but arranged to have his sister divorce Bachstitz, whereby aryanisation of the Bachstitz firm and/or confiscation of its assets was avoided. Hofer’s sister subsequently took over the firm, and it is possible that Hofer became part owner. Believed not to have engaged in important art looting activity. Conducted extensive business prior to the war with American dealers and collectors.
Bignell. The Hague, Lange Veerhout 58. Owner of Van Marle & Bignell, auction house. Reported to have dealt extensively in confiscated works of art. His firm expanded during the German occupation. Auctioned the Chabot collection on 9 January 1942. Associated with Dr M H H Franssen. In contact with Mumm and Kramer.
Goepel, Dr Erhard. Leipzig, Stieghtstrasse 76. Official Linz agent and buyer in Holland under Posse and Voss. Bought extensively in Holland and also travelled frequently in Belgium and France. Negotiated the forced sale of the Schloss Collection in Paris. Chief contacts: Vitale Bloch (Holland), Wuester, Wandl and Holzapfel (Paris)
Posse, Prof Dr Hans (deceased). Formerly Director of the State Picture Gallery, Dresden. Was appointed by Hitler as Director of the Special Commission for Linz in 1939, and became the most important official purchaser of works of art for Germany from 1939 through 1942. Died Dresden, 7 December 1942. Succeeded by Voss.
Hitler
Mueller & Co, Frederick. Amsterdam, Nieuwe Doelen Straat 16. Auction firm owned by Mensing.
Mensing. Amsterdam, Nieuwe Doelen Straat 16. Owner of the auction house Frederick Mueller & Co. Dealt with Posse, Miedl and the Dienststelle Muehlmann.
Hofer, Walter Andreas. Nuremberg. Director of the Goering Collection, and Goering’s chief purchasing agent. In custody of US Chief of Counsel, Nuremberg.
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Published on: 8/1/2018
Updated on: 1/17/2020
Author: OAD
Publisher: Open Art Data
Url: https://www.openartdata.org/2018/08/art-provenance-norton-simon.html
May 21, 2018
Art Provenance Research Red Flags: Alexander Ball
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| Art Looting Investigation Unit Detailed Interrogation Report of Karl Haberstock (DIR 13) on refugee art dealer Alexander Ball "The implications of such a revelation are exceedingly grave, and BALL should be brought to account." However Alexander Ball and his brother Richard had already reached America. source: War Department Strategic Services Report DIR 13 https://dfs.ny.gov/consumer/holocaust/history_art_looting_restitution/The%20Allies/OSS%20and%20the%20ALIU/ALIU%20Reports/karl_haberstock.pdf |
Alexander Ball, also known as Alex Ball, A. Ball, A & R Ball, and Ball Galleries, was a Berlin art dealer who became a refugee and, unfortunately, worked closely with notorious Nazi art looter Karl Haberstock, helping him to locate Jewish collections for spoliation.
A Ball's activities are documented by the Art Looting Investigation Unit in several reports, including the Final Report Red Flag List of Names and the Detailed Interrogation Report (DIR) Number 13 of Karl Haberstock.
It is noteworthy how poorly Alexander Ball is documented and referenced today in art history dictionaries, encyclopedias, and art reference databases.
Art that passed through his hands landed in major museums. Any provenance or ownership history that contains his name in any of its forms deserves a closer look, with special scrutiny for items listed on the Nazi Era Internet Portal and items with gaps or other red flags in their provenance.
Below are a few mentions of Alexander Ball in historical sources as well as a few references for him.
Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List of Names
Ball, Alexander. Paris, 9 rue Royale Aix en Provence New York (?). German Jewish refugee dealer. Intermediary for Haberstock in the sale of pictures from the unoccupied zone. Also believed to have informed on the whereabouts of prominent Jews, notably Guy de Rothschild. Believed to be in the United States.de Beauperthuys, Simone le. Paris, 6 ave de la Grande Armee. Secretary of Alexander Ball and intermediary for Ball with Haberstock, to whom she offered pictures of doubtful origin. Also represented Fischer, for whom she signed a receipt to Bornheim in Paris, July 4 1941.
Mar 3, 2018
Red Flags in Art History: Zacharie Birtschansky or Birshansky
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| Annunciatory Angel, 16th Century Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Provenance: Paris, Z. Birtschansky (dealer-1939), by whom given to the DIA in 1939. Nazi Era Provenance Internet Portal |
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| Art Dealer Zacharie Birtschansky, NARA the Wiesbaden Central Collecting Center, Vaucher Commission Lists, July 16, 1945, FOLD3 https://www.fold3.com/image/231986121 |
Who was Zacharie Birtschansky? What does finding his name in a provenance mean?
According to French documents, Zacharie Birtschansky was born on May 27, 1889 in Moscow and was an art dealer with a gallery at 88 rue Faubourg Saint Honoré in Paris. Wanted for dealing in stolen art by the French, he escaped to the United States where he was thought to have stored « art treasures ». The OSS Art Looting Investigaton Unit mentions Birtschansky numerous times, in particular in connection to Wendland and Fischer and to his partner Mandl. The name Birtschansky and Z Birtchansky appears in numerous provenances in US museums, notably the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum (DIA), to which he sold or gifted several artworks, such as Saint George and the Dragon, Annunciatory Angel, and Mountain Landscape, the NGA (Bacchus and Ariadne; Madame Stumpf and Her Daughter) and LACMA (KAUFFMANN, ANGELICA Half-length Portrait of the Duchess of Courland; MANDYN, JAN St. Christopher and the Christ Child)
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