Nazi Looted Artwork Being Handed Over to Heirs in Argentina
An Argentine couple has agreed to return a painting looted from a Jewish art dealer during Nazi Germany to its legal heirs.
By court order in Argentina, a painting stolen during Nazi Germany that was lost for 80 years will be returned to the heir of its original owner.
The Painting's Restitution Process
A couple living in Argentina has agreed to return a Nazi-era looted art piece to its legal heir. Thanks to this agreement, the criminal investigation against the couple has been suspended.
History of the Painting
The late Baroque-period artwork, titled 'Portrait of a Woman', had been missing for 80 years. The painting was identified in photographs of a house for sale near Buenos Aires.
Daughter of a Nazi Fugitive
The house where the artwork was found belonged to Patricia Kadgien, the daughter of a Nazi fugitive who fled to Argentina after World War II. Kadgien agreed to return the piece to avoid prosecution for concealing it.
The Looted Art Collection
'Portrait of a Woman' was among more than 1,000 works looted from the collection of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker following the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1940.
The Identification Moment
The artwork was first spotted in August 2025 by the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad on a real estate website for a property in Mar del Plata, where it was seen hanging on a wall.
Court Agreement
During a hearing held in Mar del Plata, criminal proceedings against Patricia Kadgien and her husband Juan Carlos Cortegoso were halted. The couple renounced all rights to the artwork and will make donations to hospitals.