Argentina Judge Orders Nazi-Looted Painting Returned To U.S.-Based Heir
An Argentine judge approved a deal to return the Nazi-looted painting "Portrait of a Lady" to U.S.-based heir Maril von Saher on Friday, September 4, 2026.[1]
Patricia Kadgien and her husband agreed to surrender the painting and accept two years of court supervision to avoid trial on aggravated cover-up charges.[1] Argentina's National Academy of Fine Arts authenticated the work as from Jacques Goudstikker's collection, valued it at about $290,000, and attributed it to Giacomo Antonio Melchiorre Ceruti.[1]
The painting was looted from Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker after Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940.[1] Maril von Saher, who lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, has pursued recovery of her family's looted art for decades.[1]
The surrender and court supervision will let von Saher take possession without a trial, closing a long legal chapter over the disputed work.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, September 4, 2026, Judge Santiago Inchausti approved a deal to return "Portrait of a Lady" to heir Maril von Saher.
- The painting was looted from Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker after Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940.
- Patricia Kadgien and her husband agreed to surrender the painting and accept two years of court supervision to avoid trial on aggravated cover-up charges.
- Argentina's National Academy of Fine Arts authenticated the work as from Goudstikker's collection, valuing it at about $290,000 and attributing it to Giacomo Antonio Melchiorre Ceruti.
- Von Saher resides in Greenwich, Connecticut, and has pursued recovery of her family's looted art for decades.
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