Justice Kunstmuseum Basel compensates heirs for art sale due to Nazi persecution
The Kunstmuseum Basel has compensated the heirs of a Jewish collector for a painting by Camille Pissarro that was sold under duress in 1933. The compensation was paid following extensive provenance research.
14.11.2024, 10:50
14.11.2024, 15:27
SDA
The Kunstmuseum Basel has compensated the heirs of a Jewish art collector for a painting by Camille Pissarro that was sold under duress in 1933. The museum had only received the work as a donation around three years ago, as it announced on Thursday.
The heirs expressed their satisfaction with the agreement reached and the museum was pleased to be able to keep the artwork in its collection. The compensation was financed from the acquisition fund without affecting the global budget. The exact amount of the compensation was not disclosed.
The painting "La Maison Rondest, l'Hermitage, Pontoise" from 1875 was donated to the Kunstmuseum Basel as part of an exhibition of works by Camille Pissarro. It came from the collection of Klaus von Berlepsch in Riehen, who had originally intended the painting as a loan, but then donated it to the museum.
Provenance research and discovery
Following the donation, the Kunstmuseum carried out provenance research, as has been standard practice since the introduction of the provenance research strategy in 2022. The painting was listed as a wanted poster on the website www.lostart.de, but under a different title and without a picture. The original provenance of the work was therefore unknown to the deceased previous owner.
The painting once belonged to the Jewish textile entrepreneur Richard Semmel, who sold it during his flight from Germany. Due to these circumstances, it was suspected that it was a fugitive's property. After the Nazi persecution-related loss was recognized, the lawyer Olaf S. Ossmann, who has represented Richard Semmel's heirs for many years, was contacted and the work was registered as part of the Kunstmuseum's collection.
