Story perspectives

Musée d’Orsay Launches Gallery Showcasing Nazi-Era Orphan Artworks

5/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Musée d’Orsay opened its first gallery for Nazi-era orphan artworks, showing 13 looted paintings with original stamps and inventory marks.
The French state holds the works in trust for unidentified heirs after President Jacques Chirac’s 1995 admission of Vichy-era plunder.
Researchers led by Ines Rotermund-Reynard are reviewing 2,200 MNR objects, with the museum having restituted 15 pieces since 1994, including Sisley and Renoir works returned in 2024.

1 of 1

Story summary

The Musée d’Orsay opened its first gallery for Nazi-era orphan artworks, showing 13 looted paintings with original stamps and inventory marks.
The French state holds the works in trust for unidentified heirs after President Jacques Chirac’s 1995 admission of Vichy-era plunder.
Researchers led by Ines Rotermund-Reynard are reviewing 2,200 MNR objects, with the museum having restituted 15 pieces since 1994, including Sisley and Renoir works returned in 2024.