Full Breakdown
Argentine Court Orders Restitution of Nazi-Looted 18th-Century Portrait
9/7/2026, 11:54:09 PM
Background and Context
During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, art dealer Jacques Goudstikker’s collection—more than 1,100 works—was seized. After the war, the Dutch government recovered roughly 300 pieces and returned many to Goudstikker’s heirs, but a large portion remained missing. The portrait “Portrait of a Lady,” an 18th-century oil attributed to Giacomo Antonio Melchiorre Ceruti, was among the lost works.
In 2025, journalists investigating Friedrich Kadgien—a Nazi SS financier who fled to Argentina—spotted the painting in photographs of a house for sale in Mar del Plata. The image, posted on a real-estate website, showed the work hanging above a green sofa in the living-room of Patricia Kadgien, Friedrich’s daughter. The discovery prompted Argentine authorities to open criminal proceedings for aggravated concealment.
Key Figures
- Jacques Goudstikker (1897–1940) – Dutch-Jewish art dealer whose collection was looted.
- Marei von Saher – Widow of Goudstikker’s only son and sole heir.
- Friedrich Kadgien (1907–1978) – Former SS financial adviser to Hermann Göring; fled to Argentina after the war.
- Patricia Kadgien – Daughter of Friedrich, former owner of the house where the painting was found.
- Juan Carlos Cortegoso – Patricia’s husband, co-defendant.
- Judge Santiago Inchausti – Federal judge who approved the restitution agreement.
- Juan Ignacio Pascual – Argentine lawyer representing von Saher.
Legal Proceedings and Agreement
On September 4, Judge Inchausti approved an agreement that suspended criminal proceedings against Patricia Kadgien and Juan Carlos Cortegoso. The couple relinquished any claim to the portrait and avoided trial by accepting several conditions:
- They will remain under judicial supervision for two years and must report their whereabouts.
- They are required to donate 4.8 million pesos (? $3,200) to a charitable foundation supporting a maternal-and-children’s hospital in Mar del Plata.
- The painting will be transferred to the custody of Argentina’s Supreme Court in Buenos Aires, after which it will be returned to von Saher.
Data & Statistics
- Estimated value: €250,000 (? $290,000).
- Dimensions: 119.5 cm × 89 cm.
- Number of works looted from Goudstikker: over 1,000, of which about 300 have been recovered.
- Monetary donation: 4.8 million pesos (? $3,200).
Official Statements & Responses
Juan Ignacio Pascual, representing von Saher, said the case is “virtually unprecedented” because restitution was achieved through criminal proceedings rather than a state-to-state or museum agreement. He noted the Argentine Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Mar del Plata played a central role.
Marei von Saher, through counsel Yaél M. Weitz, said the decision “closes a chapter” of Nazi plunder and hopes the portrait can be exhibited publicly in Argentina before its final transfer.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I am thrilled with the court’s decision to restitute this important artwork,” — Von Saher
Impact and Next Steps
Von Saher’s team is in contact with Argentine museums; the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires is a potential venue for a temporary loan. After the exhibition, the portrait will be shipped to von Saher’s possession in the United States.
The case marks the first known instance in Argentina where a Nazi-looted artwork held in private hands was restituted through a criminal-procedure settlement, setting a possible precedent for future claims involving privately held looted art.
