Amsterdam Museum to Return a Matisse Work Sold Under Duress in World War II

Arts|Amsterdam Museum to Return a Matisse Work Sold Under Duress successful World War II

The Stedelijk Museum successful Amsterdam says it volition instrumentality an Henri Matisse coating that has been successful its postulation since 1941 to the heirs of its erstwhile owner, a German-Jewish textile shaper and creation patron who sold it to money his family’s flight of the Netherlands’ Nazi occupation.

The depository announced the instrumentality of the work, “Odalisque,” connected Tuesday aft the Amsterdam City Council received “binding advice” from the Dutch Restitutions Commission, a authorities committee that rules connected cases of Nazi-looted art.

The heirs said successful a connection that the determination provided symbolic justice. “The Matisse underwent the aforesaid travel from Berlin to Amsterdam arsenic our grandparents,” they said. “But it stopped determination successful the Stedelijk, with astir nary acknowledgment from whence it came for 80 years.”

Before World War II, Matisse’s “Odalisque,” dated 1920-21, was portion of the backstage creation postulation of Albert and Marie Stern. Albert and his duplicate member Siegbert had helped found a starring Berlin womenswear institution successful the 19th century. Albert and Marie were patrons of the arts and regularly hosted creation and euphony events astatine their Berlin home. Marie, who had studied art, assembled a postulation that besides included works by Vincent van Gogh and Edward Munch.

After the National Socialists took powerfulness successful Germany successful 1933, the Sterns suffered respective antisemitic blows. The authorities expropriated their concern and stole galore of their assets and possessions, and the household was threatened with carnal violence, said Anne Webber, the laminitis and co-chair of the Commission for Looted Art successful Europe, which handled the restitution claim.

In 1937, according to the Commission, the mates moved to Amsterdam, taking on immoderate of their possessions, portion applying for visas to countries including Cuba, Mexico and the United States, yet unsuccessfully. By July 1941, the household had small food, and sold everything they had near successful the hopes of escaping Europe.