In brief
In a dramatic turn of events, the painting 'Portrait of a Lady' by Giuseppe Ghislandi has disappeared from a Buenos Aires property where it was being sold by the daughter of a former Nazi. After a police raid yielded no painting but uncovered weapons, authorities are treating this as a potential smuggling case. The artwork, which had been hidden for over 80 years, now raises questions about historical accountability and the fate of cultural property looted during WWII.
A painting stolen by the Nazis that was spotted in an Argentinian estate agent's advert has vanished, a prosecutor says following a raid on the home.
Portrait of a Lady by Giuseppe Ghislandi was featured hanging above a sofa inside a property near Buenos Aires, which was being sold by the daughter of a senior Nazi who fled Germany after World War Two.
A police raid on the house this week however turned up no painting - but two weapons were seized, federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez told local media.
Mr Martínez said they were treating it as an alleged cover-up of smuggling, Argentinian daily Clarin reported.
The furnishings had been rearranged and the picture was missing from the wall when they raided the property.
Peter Schouten of the Dutch Algemeen Dagblad newspaper, which first reported the long-lost artwork's reappearance, indicated that the painting was likely removed shortly after media reports surfaced.
The painting was part of the collection of Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, much of which was forcibly sold by the Nazis posthumously.
After 80 years of uncertainty regarding 'Portrait of a Lady', indications suggest that it may have been held by Friedrich Kadgien, an SS officer, who relocated to Argentina after World War II.
The investigation aims to reclaim the looted painting, supported by Goudstikker's estate, headed by his daughter-in-law Marei von Saher.
This incident highlights the enduring legacy of art theft during the Holocaust and the ongoing efforts to recover lost cultural heritage.
