A painting looted by the Nazis was found in the possession of SS heirs.

A work of art that disappeared during World War II has resurfaced in the Netherlands under particularly troubling circumstances. The painting, Portrait of a Young Girl, by the Dutch artist Toon Kelder, once belonged to the prestigious collection of the Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, which was looted by the Nazis after his escape to England in 1940. According to revelations made to AFP by art detective Arthur Brand, the painting was kept for decades in the family of a high-ranking Dutch collaborator with the Waffen-SS.

A discovery linked to a troubled family past

The case began when a member of Hendrik Seyffardt's family contacted Arthur Brand, nicknamed "the Indiana Jones of the art world" for his numerous investigations into stolen artworks. This man, who remains anonymous, claims to have discovered both his family connection to the Dutch collaborationist leader and the existence, within his family, of a painting looted during the Nazi era.

According to his testimony, reported by the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf, the artwork hung in the home of Seyffardt's granddaughter. He also claims that she knew the painting was the result of anti-Semitic looting and had declared it "unsellable." Hendrik Seyffardt, assassinated by the Dutch resistance in 1943, was at the time commanding a unit of Dutch volunteers fighting alongside the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front.

Evidence found in the archives from 1940

Arthur Brand then traced the painting's provenance using several pieces of physical evidence. A label bearing the name Goudstikker was on the back of the canvas, while the number 92 was engraved on the frame. By consulting the records of an auction held in 1940 after the looting of the Goudstikker collection, he found this same number associated with Toon Kelder's Portrait of a Young Girl.

According to the investigator, the artwork was likely purchased on that occasion by Hendrik Seyffardt before being passed down to his descendants. Jacques Goudstikker's collection had been seized by the Nazis, notably under the authority of Hermann Göring, after the Jewish art dealer fled the Netherlands.

The lawyers for the Goudstikker heirs confirmed to Arthur Brand that the painting was indeed looted and are now demanding its restitution. However, the case faces several legal obstacles: the statute of limitations has expired, preventing the Dutch police from intervening. Furthermore, the Dutch committee responsible for the restitution of wartime looted artworks has no authority to compel a private individual to return a painting.

According to Arthur Brand, the family member who made the revelations hopes that the media coverage of the case will put pressure on the authorities to ensure that the artwork is finally returned to its rightful owners.