Provenance research Detective search for looted art at the St. Gallen Art Museum

The exhibition "Forward into the Past" at the St. Gallen Art Museum presents the results of provenance research. It is about the search for the provenance history of paintings by Carl Spitzweg, Aert van der Neer and Ferdinand Hodler.

The small exhibition "Forward into the Past" is somewhat hidden in the middle of the rooms reserved for the presentation of the collection. A few examples are used to show the current status of research into the provenance of some of the paintings.

The now closed case of Ferdinand Hodler's "Lake Thun with Stockhorn Chain", on loan from the Simon and Charlotte Frick Foundation, is well known. Only after its purchase in 1985 did it emerge that the work had belonged to the Jewish collector Max Silberberg in the 1930s. In 2023, the foundation reached an agreement with the Silberberg estate. The painting can remain in the art museum on permanent loan.

The history of the painting "Winter River Landscape by Moonlight" by the Dutch artist Aert van der Neer (1603 - 1677) is new. It was donated to the Kunstmuseum's collection in 2018 by Maria and Johannes Krüppel-Stärk. They had bought the painting in Cologne in 1978 for DM 22,000.

Clues on the back

For once, the back of the painting is on display. There are various clues to its provenance. For example, there is a label with the inscription "Galerie Goudstikker, Amsterdam". Jacques Goudstikker was an important art dealer in Amsterdam in the 1930s.

There is further evidence that the painting was in his possession. The painting is listed in the gallery's surviving inventory book with the number 2654. The number matches the gallery label on the back of the painting.

Goudstikker fled from the German troops in 1940 and died in an accident on the crossing to England. The paintings in the gallery were confiscated by the Germans.

According to the exhibition, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring secured a large part of them for himself. A small notebook belonging to Goudstikker has been preserved. The painting by van der Neer is also listed there with the number 2654.

Recognized as looted art

There is also another number on the label that is difficult to read: 6119, which refers to the entry in the Central Collecting Point, Munich. "Winter River Landscape by Moonlight" was temporarily stored there after being seized by the Allies in 1945.

The painting is looted art, the experts at the Kunstmuseum conclude from the many documents. A solution has already been found with the descendants of Jacques Goudstikker. After the "Forward into the Past" exhibition, the painting will therefore be handed over to the heirs. The results of the provenance research can be seen at the Kunstmuseum until April 27.

SDA