The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) returned a painting by renowned artist Claude Monet dating back to 1865 known as “Bord de Mer,” which was stolen by Nazis on the eve of WWII to the granddaughters of its original Jewish owner. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the FBI presented the artwork to the family, ending a search more than 80 years in the making.
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“We didn’t, we could not believe it,” Francoise Parlagi, the granddaughter of the original owner, said. “We wouldn’t have believed it, but more and more, as we [were] in progress, we had to say well something may happen in the end. There may be a happy ending to the whole thing and now we’re still, I mean, can’t believe it, but it’s happening.”
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Adalbert Parlagi had stored the piece of artwork with the rest of this family’s belongings at a warehouse in 1938 before they fled their home in Vienna to escape the German invasion. However, Nazis looted the painting by Monet and sold it off after Austria was annexed by Adolph Hitler’s Germany.
“Nobody knew where it was,” said Francoise Parlagi. “The government, the Austrian government after the war didn’t collaborate with my grandfather trying to search. It was all, it was looted, it was seized, it was belonged to them.”
More than 70 years later, the painting resurfaced at an exhibition in France in 2016. From there, a New Orleans-based antiquities dealer purchased it, later selling it to a couple in Washington state. That couple listed it for sale but agreed to surrender it to the FBI after learning it of its looted history. The piece was then reunited with its pre-war owner’s family this week.
“And to have the feeling that grandfather’s watching somehow and that he would be so, so proud of this moment,” Helen Lowe, another granddaughter of Adalbert Parlagi, said.
The family is still searching for six other artworks, including a signed watercolor by Paul Signac called “Seine in Paris.” The FBI is also helping with that investigation.
Tags: antisemitism, Art, Austria, FBI, Germany, Great Britain, Jewish, New Orleans, Washington, World War II
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
A CLAUDE MONET PAINTING STOLEN BY THE NAZIS HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE JEWISH FAMILY IT WAS TAKEN FROM DURING WORLD WAR 2.
THE FBI MAKING IT HAPPEN AFTER THE PASTEL WORK RESURFACED DECADES LATER.
[FRANCOISE PARLAGI]
“WE DIDN’T, WE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. WE WOULDN’T HAVE BELIEVED IT, BUT MORE AND MORE, AS WE IN PROGRESS, WE HAD TO SAY WELL SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN IN THE END. THERE MAY BE A HAPPY ENDING TO THE WHOLE THING AND NOW WE’RE STILL, I MEAN, CAN’T BELIEVE IT, BUT IT’S HAPPENING.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE ORIGINAL OWNERS, A JEWISH COUPLE IN AUSTRIA – WERE FORCED TO FLEE THEIR HOME TO ESCAPE THE GERMAN INVASION IN 1938.
THE NAZIS LOOTED THE WAREHOUSE IT WAS STORED IN, EVENTUALLY SELLING OFF THE PAINTING.
[FRANCOISE PARLAGI]
“THE NAZIS SOLD IT AT AUCTION HOUSES AT THE TIME AS THEY DID WITH MANY OTHER JEWISH PROPERTY, YEAH, BELONGING TO FAMILIES.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THAT WOULD SPUR A DECADES-LONG SEARCH BY THE FAMILY.
[FRANCOISE PARLAGI]
“NOBODY KNEW WHERE IT WAS. THE GOVERNMENT, THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT AFTER THE WAR DIDN’’T COLLABORATE WITH MY GRANDFATHER TRYING TO SEARCH. IT WAS ALL, IT WAS LOOTED, IT WAS SEIZED, IT WAS BELONGED TO THEM.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
MORE THAN 70 YEARS LATER – THE PAINTING RESURFACED AT AN EXHIBITION IN FRANCE IN 2016.
FROM THERE – A NEW ORLEANS BASED ANTIQUITIES DEALER PURCHASED IT, LATER SELLING IT TO A COUPLE IN WASHINGTON STATE.
THAT COUPLE LISTED IT FOR SALE BUT AGREED TO SURRENDER IT TO THE FBI AFTER LEARNING OF ITS LOOTED HISTORY.
THE PIECE WAS REUNITED WITH ITS PRE-WAR OWNER’S THIS WEEK.
[HELEN LOWE]
“AND TO HAVE THE FEELING THAT GRANDFATHER’S WATCHING SOMEHOW AND THAT HE WOULD BE SO, SO PROUD OF THIS MOMENT.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE FAMILY IS STILL SEARCHING FOR SIX OTHER ARTWORKS, INCLUDING A SIGNED WATERCOLOR BY PAUL SIGNAC CALLED SEINE IN PARIS, AND THE F-B-I CONTINUES TO HELP WITH THE INVESTIGATION.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
Media Landscape
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26 other sources covering this story
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Center
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