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Argentine court approves return of Nazi-looted portrait to Jewish art dealer's heir

A deal ends criminal proceedings against a Nazi official's daughter after the artwork was spotted in a property listing.

Updated Sep 4, 2026 · 22:18 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • An Argentine court approved the return of the looted painting "Portrait of a Lady" to Marei von Saher, sole heir of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Patricia Kadgien and her husband surrendered the artwork, avoiding trial by agreeing to court supervision and hospital payments.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • The artwork was spotted in August 2025 by Dutch journalists in an online real estate listing in Mar del Plata.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Authorities are still investigating whether other seized artworks from Kadgien-linked properties were also looted.[ABC News]

Key facts

  • An Argentine court approved an agreement allowing the return of the looted painting 'Portrait of a Lady' to Marei von Saher, the sole surviving heir of art dealer Jacques Goudstikker.[Associated Press · ABC News · BBC News]
  • Patricia Kadgien and Juan Carlos Cortegoso agreed to give up claims to the artwork, accept two years of court supervision, and make hospital donations to avoid criminal prosecution.[Associated Press · ABC News · BBC News]
  • The painting was discovered in August 2025 after Dutch journalists from Algemeen Dagblad noticed it in an online real estate listing in Mar del Plata.[Associated Press · ABC News · BBC News]
  • Experts estimated the value of the authenticated portrait at roughly 250,000 euros ($290,000).[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The painting was historically attributed to Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi, but an Argentine examination attributed it to Giacomo Antonio Melchiorre Ceruti.[Associated Press · ABC News · BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains unknown exactly how the artwork originally came into the possession of Nazi official Friedrich Kadgien.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Investigators have not determined whether two other 19th-century paintings and additional prints seized from the Kadgien family were also looted during World War II.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.