Nazi-Looted Portrait from the Goudstikker Collection Discovered in Home of Dutch SS Collaborator’s Descendants

Art detective Arthur Brand found the 1930s Toon Kelder painting *Portrait of a Young Girl* in the hallway of Hendrik Seyffardt’s granddaughter. Brand described the find as the most bizarre case of his career. The work bears a Goudstikker label and number 92 carved on its frame, linking it to the 1940 auction of looted works.

Times of Israel

Jewish dealer Jacques Goudstikker fled the 1940 Nazi invasion, leaving a collection of 1,000 paintings. Hermann Göring seized the inventory; an Amsterdam auction listed item 92 as Toon Kelder’s *Portrait of a Young Girl*. Six Kelder works were recorded in Goudstikker’s holdings. The Dutch Restitution Committee lacks enforcement power, and heirs’ lawyers have confirmed the painting’s looted status and demand its return.

Times of IsraelBBC NewsThe Guardian

• 1940 – Hermann Göring seized Goudstikker’s collection; item 92 was sold at an Amsterdam auction.

Times of Israel

• 1943 – Hendrik Seyffardt, Dutch Waffen-SS commander, was assassinated; his family later changed its name.

Times of Israel

• May 2026 – Arthur Brand revealed the portrait’s presence in the Seyffardt family home; heirs’ lawyers demanded its return, recalling a 2025 case where another Goudstikker work surfaced in Argentina.

Times of Israel

Heirs’ lawyers formally requested the painting’s return, confirming its looted provenance. The Dutch Restitution Committee reiterated that it can only advise and lacks power to compel private owners. Police officials said the case falls outside criminal jurisdiction because the theft exceeds the statute of limitations. The Seyffardt family acknowledged possession but denied prior knowledge of the work’s origin. Legal scholars criticize the inability to enforce restitution, arguing that moral duties should override procedural barriers, leaving the matter dependent on voluntary compliance or public pressure.

The Guardian

The discovery underscores the ongoing challenge of locating and restituting Nazi-looted artworks, many of which remain hidden in private collections. It also highlights the moral pressure on descendants of collaborators to address historical injustices, and the limitations of current restitution frameworks in achieving equitable outcomes.

The Guardian

• “the most bizarre case of my entire career.” — Arthur Brand, art detective

Times of Israel

• “I received it from my mother. Now that you confront me like this, I understand that Goudstikker’s heirs want the painting back. I didn’t know that,” — Seyffardt’s granddaughter

The Guardian

• “I feel ashamed. The painting should be returned to the heirs of Goudstikker.” — Descendant of Hendrik Seyffardt

BBC News

• “The family member sees public exposure as the only way to hopefully return the painting to the Goudstikker heirs, where it rightfully belongs,” — Arthur Brand, AFP interview

The Guardian

Brand intends to keep the case in the media spotlight, hoping that heightened public scrutiny will compel the Seyffardt heirs to return the portrait and prompt Dutch lawmakers to reconsider restitution limits.

Times of Israel