France reckons with Nazi-looted art in new Paris museum gallery

PARIS — A captivating painting depicts a girl in a bonnet and her younger brother gazing out at the Normandy coast, their eyes fixed on an unknown horizon.

In 1942, this very artwork faced an uncertain fate when it fell into the hands of Adolf Hitler in Paris, becoming one of many pieces of art seized during the Nazi plunder of European Jews.

Now, after decades of delay, the painting has found a permanent home in a new room at the renowned Musée d’Orsay in Paris, marking a significant step in France’s efforts to confront the legacy of Nazi-era art theft. This gallery represents the museum’s first dedicated space for displaying orphaned masterpieces from the Nazi era.

Unlike any other display in France, this exhibition allows visitors to view the backs of the paintings, revealing stamps, labels, and inventory marks that trace the journey of each artwork from private collections to Nazi possession.

The painting, created by Belgian artist Alfred Stevens, was originally intended for Hitler’s museum in Linz, Austria, but later found its way to his mountain retreat in Bavaria after the war. Despite Allied efforts to recover looted art, no heirs have come forward to claim ownership of this piece, adding to the mystery of its provenance.

Dubbed as MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération), France holds a collection of 2,200 such orphaned artworks, including the Stevens painting, which were returned from Germany and Austria post-1945 and entrusted to French national museums. These pieces remain unclaimed, waiting for potential heirs to step forward.

In an effort to trace the rightful heirs of these orphaned artworks, the Musée d’Orsay recently established a research unit dedicated to this task, led by a team of experts striving to unravel the mysteries surrounding these pieces.

As visitors explore the new gallery housing 13 such works, they are confronted with France’s dark history of collaboration with the Nazis, including the looting and selling of art belonging to Jewish families. This reckoning with the past is a crucial step in acknowledging and rectifying the injustices committed during this tumultuous period.

The stories behind each artwork, such as a piece by Edgar Degas or a portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, shed light on the tragic fate of the original owners, many of whom perished in concentration camps.

Through initiatives like this gallery, France is not only preserving these orphaned artworks but also honoring the memories of those who suffered during this dark chapter in history. The fight against antisemitism and the acknowledgment of past wrongs remain at the forefront of this ongoing effort to seek justice and remembrance.