World War II ended in 1945, but the aftermath of the greatest war in world history is still felt today. The BBC is now reporting that a painting stolen by the Nazis from a Jewish art dealer has been recovered. The painting was found in the Netherlands at the home of the descendants of a notorious Dutch Waffen SS collaborator (Hendrik Seyffardt).
The painting is titled Portrait of a Young Girl and was painted by the Dutch artist Toon Kelder. It is part of the Goudstikker collection and was looted by the Nazis in 1940. The family was aware of its dark history after a descendant asked his grandmother about its origins and was told that it was "Jewish looted art, stolen from Goudstikker. It cannot be sold. Don't tell anyone."
This led to an art detective, Arthur Brand, being called in, and the strange story could finally come to an end. The painting has been handed over to Brand, who will try to ensure that it is returned to any surviving relatives of the former owners.
It is believed that the painting first ended up with Hermann Göring before Hendrik Seyffardt eventually took possession of it. Check out what it looks like in the Instagram post below.
