Full Breakdown
Zurich SKKG Foundation Restitutes Ferdinand Hodler Painting to Heirs of Martha Nathan
5/4/2026, 11:12:04 PM
Restitution of “Lake Thun with Blüemlisalp and Niesen”
The Zurich-based Foundation for Art, Culture and History (SKKG) has agreed to return Ferdinand Hodler’s oil painting *Lake Thun with Blüemlisalp and Niesen* (dated 1876/1882) to the heirs of its former owner, Martha Adrianna Nathan (née Dreyfus, 1874-1958). The work entered the SKKG collection in 1998 and, after an independent provenance investigation, was identified as having been sold under duress in 1941 because Nathan was persecuted by the National-Socialist regime. The restitution agreement was announced on 10 March 2024 and described as a “just and fair solution.”
Historical Background of Martha Nathan and the Forced Sale
Martha Nathan was born into the Dreyfus banking family in Frankfurt and became a naturalised Swiss citizen in 1875. Marriage to Hugo Nathan stripped her of Swiss nationality, making her a German citizen. Following the Nazi rise to power in 1933, she faced anti-Jewish persecution, regained French citizenship, and fled to France in 1937. She arrived in Geneva in 1939. After the German occupation of France, Swiss immigration policy required French Jews to provide a financial guarantee for residence permits. To meet this requirement, Nathan sold artworks from her collection, including the Hodler painting, in Switzerland in 1941.
Timeline of Research and Restitution
- 1876/1882 – Hodler completes *Lake Thun with Blüemlisalp and Niesen*.
- 1998 – Painting acquired by the SKKG Foundation.
- Summer 2022 – SKKG launches provenance research on the 6,000 works collected by Bruno Stefanini.
- February 2024 – Independent UK-SKKG commission concludes the 1941 sale was forced.
- 10 March 2024 – SKKG and Nathan’s heirs sign restitution agreement.
- September 2027 – March 2028 – Painting scheduled for display in the “Jewish Collectors in Germany” exhibition, Hamburg.
Key Actors and Institutional Roles
- Martha Adrianna Nathan – Original owner forced to sell the painting.
- SKKG Foundation – Current holder of the work; responsible for provenance research and restitution.
- UK-SKKG Independent Commission – Conducted the investigation confirming Nazi-persecution-related forced sale.
- Bruno Stefanini – Late real-estate magnate whose 6,000-work collection forms the basis of the SKKG holdings, now exhibited in roughly 60 Swiss institutions.
Data on Provenance Research and Collection Scope
The SKKG’s provenance project, initiated in 2022, examines 6,000 artworks acquired from Stefanini’s collection. These works are displayed across approximately 60 Swiss museums and cultural venues. The investigation of *Lake Thun with Blüemlisalp and Niesen* is one of several cases confirming the presence of Nazi-looted art in Switzerland.
Official Statements & Responses
The UK-SKKG commission emphasized that Nathan’s sale was compelled by the need to prove sufficient resources for a residence permit. The SKKG announced that the restitution reflects a “just and fair solution” and pledged to make Nathan’s personal history publicly accessible. The foundation also indicated plans to publish a dedicated work honoring Nathan’s family and artistic legacy.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources acknowledge a substantial amount of Nazi-looted art in Switzerland but do not provide precise figures, leaving the overall scale of the issue undefined. No contradictory accounts of the painting’s provenance were identified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Without the sale of the painting, she would not have been able to justify the resources required to renew her residence permit” — UK-SKKG commission
- “There’s a lot of Nazi-looted art in Switzerland” — SKKG spokesperson
- “On March 10 of this year, the SKKG and the heirs reached an agreement on a "just and fair solution", according to a statement issued by the UK-SKKG on Monday.” — UK-SKKG statement, 10 March 2024
- “The SKKG foundation also plans to commemorate the history of Martha Nathan’s work and family in a publication.” — SKKG press release
Significance for Art Restitution and Public Memory
The case illustrates Switzerland’s growing commitment to investigating and returning artworks displaced by Nazi persecution. By publicly documenting Nathan’s forced sale and integrating the painting into an exhibition on Jewish collectors, the SKKG aims to enhance transparency and educate audiences about the personal impact of cultural plunder.
Upcoming Exhibition and Publication
The painting will appear in the “Jewish Collectors in Germany” exhibition in Hamburg from September 2027 to March 2028. Concurrently, the SKKG intends to publish a work detailing Nathan’s family history and the broader context of Nazi-era art dispossession.
