Full Breakdown
Argentine Court Clears Return of Nazi-Looted Portrait to Heir of Dutch Art Dealer
9/5/2026, 8:16:11 PM
Core Event: Court-Approved Deal Returns “Portrait of a Lady”
An Argentine court in Buenos Aires approved a settlement under which Patricia Kadgien, daughter of former Nazi official Friedrich Kadgien, and her husband Juan Carlos Cortegoso will relinquish all claims to the 18th-century painting *Portrait of a Lady*. In exchange, the couple avoids criminal prosecution, accepts two years of judicial supervision, and must make regular payments to a hospital in Mar del Plata. The work will be handed to Marei von Saher, the sole surviving heir of Dutch-Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker.
Background & Context
Jacques Goudstikker’s collection was seized after Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940; more than 1,100 pieces were sold under duress, notably to Hermann Göring. Friedrich Kadgien, Göring’s financial adviser, fled to Argentina after the war and died in 1978 without facing war-crimes charges.
The painting resurfaced in August 2025 when Dutch newspaper *Algemeen Dagblad* identified it in photographs of a real-estate listing for Kadgien’s daughter’s home in Mar del Plata. Argentine authorities raided the property, and Kadgien’s lawyer later turned the painting over to police.
Data & Statistics
- Over 1,000 artworks were looted from Goudstikker’s collection; about 1,100 were later sold to Göring.
- The Dutch state recovered roughly 300 pieces after the war and returned most to Goudstikker’s heirs.
- Experts authenticated the portrait and valued it at approximately €250,000 (about $290,000).
- Reported donation amounts vary: one source cites about $3,200 to local hospitals; another mentions 4.8 million pesos (? $2,356); a third notes each spouse will pay 2.4 million pesos (? $1,600 each).
Official Statements & Responses
Judge Santiago Inchausti said an order will be issued for the painting’s return to von Saher’s heir. The Argentine Justice Ministry confirmed von Saher wishes the work to be exhibited temporarily in Buenos Aires to raise awareness of Nazi-era looting. Federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez noted the individuals committed to renounce any rights over the painting. von Saher’s lawyer Guillermo Brady indicated the family plans to display the portrait in Argentina for at least a year before it is transferred to von Saher in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Attribution remains disputed. While long listed as by Italian Baroque painter Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi, a court-ordered examination by Argentina’s National Academy of Fine Arts concluded it was created by Giacomo Antonio Melchiorre Ceruti. Scholars continue to question the provenance.
Financial terms also differ across reports, with figures ranging from $3,200 to 4.8 million pesos and to 2.4 million pesos per spouse; sources do not clarify which amount reflects the final agreement.
Why It Matters
The case highlights the challenges of restituting art looted during the Holocaust and the role of South-American jurisdictions in addressing such claims. By exhibiting the portrait in Argentina before its final transfer, von Saher seeks to publicize the broader issue of Nazi-era cultural theft and demonstrate a negotiated path that avoids lengthy criminal trials while providing community benefit.
