|
Work being carried out by the Louvre and Sotheby’s could ‘lead to restitutions’ as the Parisian institution researches the history of items in its collection acquired between 1933 and 1945
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 27 Jan 2022
The Louvre will look at the provenance of items already in its collection which were acquired during World War II Credit: Michael Fousert on Unsplash
The Louvre has teamed up with iconic art broker Sotheby’s for a joint project, researching the history of items collected by the museum during World War II.
The three-year partnership, which has been funded by Sotheby’s in a sponsorship deal, will help fund research that “may lead to restitutions”, as well as preservation and education initiatives such as digitisation, photography and the organisation of seminars, study days and publications.
Sotheby’s was the first international auction house to have a department dedicated to provenance research and restitution.
Founded in 1997, the Restitution Department is made up of a team of restitution experts based in London and New York, and supplemented by consultants. A large part of the team’s mission is to help the current owners of works of art that were moved between 1933 and 1945 to research the history of these works and, subsequently, find a solution to any historic claims.
“This patronage echoes Sotheby's commitment to the restitution of works that changed hands between 1933 and 1945,” said the Louvre in a statement.
In response to the new partnership, the Louvre is hosting a day of film screenings today (January 27) with the selection of films questioning the art market under occupation.
“The spoliation of art and cultural objects belonging mainly to Jewish families was systematic during the occupation,” said the Louvre. “France is, in this sense, generally considered to be one of the countries most affected by the spoliation of works of art. The three films on offer attest to this historical reality.”
In addition, on February 2 a study day is scheduled, with the session focusing on the current state of provenance research within the Louvre. Based on specific case studies, the chain of transmission of ownership of works and cultural objects will be examined in light of the German occupation and the laws of Vichy. Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre, will host the event’s introduction.
Museums and galleries
|
|
Storm surge: How Chimelong Spaceship’s award-winning and record-breaking Bermuda Storm was brought to life
|
