Four Works Recovered by the Monuments Men in Sotheby's Old Master Paintings Sale this Thursday
Sotheby’s 30 January 2014 sale of Important Old Master Paintings and Sculpture will feature four works recovered by the Monuments Men, the fabled allied organization responsible for the protection of monuments and cultural treasures during World War II, as well as the recovery and return of millions of works of art displaced during the conflict. Like many of the treasures looted during World War II, the present works came from celebrated European collections and two were even selected by Hitler’s deputy and Luftwaffe Chief, Hermann Göring, for his personal collection. The paintings still bear the traces of the Nazi’s collecting and documenting process and the information preserved by the Monuments Men at the time of recovery has helped to restore the history of the works during the war. The paintings are currently on view at Sotheby’s ahead of Thursday’s auction. The press release on the works is attached to the email and includes images of the backs of the works.
George Clooney’s film adaptation of Robert Edsel’s book, “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History,” will be released in early February 2014 just after Old Masters Week.
Watch: www.youtube.com/sothebys
