Heirs Sell Slevogt Work to Wuerzburg Museum - Nazi-looted Max Slevogt painting finally returned to Jewish heirs after 80 years
A Max Slevogt painting looted by the Nazis has been returned to the heirs of its original Jewish owner. The artwork, titled Portrait of a Bearded Man, depicts Nivard Streicher, a Baptistic monk. After decades in a German museum, the piece was formally restituted following years of provenance research.
The painting was first acquired by Bruno Cassirer, a Jewish art dealer forced to flee to Britain in 1938. Under Nazi rule, the Gestapo confiscated his assets, including the Slevogt work. In 1944, the regime auctioned the painting in Berlin, where it was bought by Wolfgang Gurlitt.
The restitution marks the end of a lengthy investigation into the painting’s history. The museum will retain the artwork, now recognised as both a cultural treasure and a reminder of Nazi-era plunder. The case highlights the importance of provenance research in addressing historical injustices.
