Story perspectives

Court Orders Return of Ceruti Painting to Heir

9/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Argentina's court ordered the looted Giacomo Ceruti painting returned to heir Marei von Saher.
Patricia Kadgien and Juan Carlos Cortegoso waived ownership claims and avoided trial.
They must remain supervised for two years and donate 4.8 million pesos to a Mar del Plata children’s hospital.
The 18th-century oil is valued at €250,000 and was discovered in August 2025.
Von Saher will exhibit the painting in Argentina before transferring it to her family.

History

Historical Context

The 1970 UNESCO Convention on illicit cultural property, reinforced by the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention, obliges states to return stolen works and places the burden of proof on possessors (Art. 3.1, 4.1). Argentina ratified these treaties and, following a court seizure of a €250,000 Giacomo Ceruti portrait, judges ordered its restitution to heir Marei von Saher. The ruling illustrates how the conventions now drive restitution claims.

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Story summary

Argentina's court ordered the looted Giacomo Ceruti painting returned to heir Marei von Saher.
Patricia Kadgien and Juan Carlos Cortegoso waived ownership claims and avoided trial.
They must remain supervised for two years and donate 4.8 million pesos to a Mar del Plata children’s hospital.
The 18th-century oil is valued at €250,000 and was discovered in August 2025.
Von Saher will exhibit the painting in Argentina before transferring it to her family.

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