A Spanish museum has returned two 15th-century paintings to Poland after discovering that they had been looted by Nazi forces in World War II.
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 31 Jan 2023
A Spanish museum has returned two 15th-century paintings to Poland after discovering that they had been looted by Nazi forces in World War II.
The Pontevedra Museum in northern Spain had been home to the artworks, ‘Mater Dolorose’ and ‘Ecce Homo’, since 1994 when they were acquired alongside 300 pieces from a private collector. In 2020, however, it was revealed that the paintings had been stolen by Nazi forces from the Czartoryski collection in Goluchów, Poland, during Germany’s occupation of the country in World War II.
After several delays, caused by issues with official permits, the works – believed to have been painted by a student of Flemish master Dieric Bouts – have been returned to delegates from Poland’s Culture Ministry after a restitution agreement was officially signed on January 25.
“We’re helping to restore an injustice, helping to restore plundered art, helping in whatever way we can to make the world a better place,” said César Mosquera, VP of the Pontevedra Provincial Council.
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