Nazi-looted portrait found in home of Dutch SS leader's family: art sleuth

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The Hague: An extraordinary discovery has surfaced in the Netherlands as a painting plundered by the Nazis was found hanging in the home of a notorious SS collaborator’s descendants.

The artwork, ‘Portrait of a Young Girl’ by Toon Kelder, was part of the world-famous Goudstikker collection, which was seized by top Nazi official Hermann Goering in 1940.

Art detective Arthur Brand, often called the ‘Indiana Jones of the Art World,’ revealed that the painting had likely been displayed for decades by the family of Hendrik Seyffardt. Seyffardt was a high-ranking Nazi collaborator who commanded a Waffen-SS unit.

The breakthrough came when a family member, feeling a sense of ‘shame,’ contacted Brand to ensure the piece was returned to its rightful heirs. Although legal hurdles like the statute of limitations prevent police intervention, Brand hopes public exposure will finally lead the painting back to the Goudstikker family.

Photo Credits: AFP