Nazi-looted art returned to Goudstikker heir, this time from the Mauritshuis in The Hague

The Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science has officially decided to return a 1651 painting to the heir of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The piece was part of the national collection held at the Mauritshuis and was identified as having been involuntarily lost during the Nazi regime. The Restitutiecommissie conducted extensive research, concluding that the artwork was seized by Nazi official Hermann Göring without the consent of Goudstikker's widow, Dési. The report highlighted that the forced sales were facilitated by a Nazi-aligned director who bypassed legal ownership protocols. Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Amsterdam art dealer, died in an accident while fleeing the Netherlands following the German invasion in 1940. His vast collection was subsequently looted by the Nazis through complex and coercive transactions. The restitution request was filed by Marei von Saher, the daughter-in-law of Goudstikker. This decision marks another step in addressing the historical injustices faced by the family during the occupation.