A PAINTING stolen by the Nazis has been found hanging in the home of a notorious SS general after a tip-off from one of his descendants.
“Portrait of a Young Girl” by Dutch artist Toon Kelder was stolen from a Jewish art dealer after the Nazis invaded the Netherlands.
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“Portrait of a Young Girl” by Toon Kelder was stolen by the Nazis in World War Two Credit: AFP
A label on the back of the painting linked it to the collection of a Jewish art dealer Credit: AFP
For decades, the artwork reportedly remained hidden inside the family home of Dutch SS general Hendrik Seyffardt.
Now, the painting could finally be returned to its rightful owners after its secret past was uncovered by renowned Dutch art detective Arthur Brand.
Brand tracked the painting to the Seyffardt family after receiving a tip-off from one of the general’s descendants.
Brand told The Telegraph: “This was a man who discovered that his family had changed its name after World War Two, and that he was a descendent of a famous Nazi general.
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“He almost fainted when he found out.
“He then spoke to the granddaughter of that general, who was a relative of his as well, and she showed him a painting and said, ‘This is a family secret: it was looted from the Jews and we can never sell it.’”
The guilt-ridden relative then approached Brand to investigate the artwork’s origins.
After close examination Brand discovered a label on the back of the painting linking it to the collection of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker.
Goudstikker left behind a vast collection of more than 1,000 artworks after dying aboard a ship while fleeing the Nazis in 1940.
Much of the collection was later seized by Reichsmarschall of the German army, Hermann Goering.
The painting was eventually sold at auction to Seyffardt, where it is believed to have remained as a family heirloom for decades.
Family members have since said they were unaware of the painting’s full history but acknowledged Goudstikker’s rightful claim to it.
The descendant told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: “I feel ashamed. The painting should be returned to the heirs of Goudstikker.”
The man’s grandmother added: “I received it from my mother.
“Now that you confront me like this, I understand that Goudstikker’s heirs want the painting back. I didn’t know that.”
Brand described the discovery as “stunning” and said it was unlike any case he had encountered before.
He told the BBC: “I have recovered Nazi-looted art from World War Two before, including pieces in the Louvre, the Dutch Royal Collection, and numerous museums.
“But discovering a painting from the famous Goudstikker collection, in the possession of the heirs of a notorious and famous Dutch Waffen-SS general, truly tops everything.”
The investigator added the artwork could be worth up to tens of thousands if sold.
It remains unclear whether the family will voluntarily hand the painting back, though they are facing mounting public pressure to return it.
