Full Breakdown
Argentine Court Orders Return of Nazi-Looted 18th-Century Portrait
9/8/2026, 2:31:02 AM
Core Event: Restitution of “Portrait of a Lady”
Federal Judge Santiago Inchausti, presiding over a hearing in Mar del Plata, ordered that the oil-on-canvas *Portrait of a Lady* be returned to the heir of Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The custodians, Patricia Kadgien and her husband Juan Carlos Cortegoso, waived all claims and agreed to donate 4.8 million pesos (about $3,200) to a charitable foundation that supports a local maternal-and-children’s hospital. The painting will remain in the custody of Argentina’s Supreme Court in Buenos Aires until it is transferred to Goudstikker’s heir, Marei von Saher.
Background & Context: Nazi Plunder and Post-War Flight
Jacques Goudstikker (1897–1940) operated a prominent art gallery in the Netherlands. After the Nazi invasion in 1940, more than 1,100 works from his collection were seized, including *Portrait of a Lady*. Goudstikker fled the country and died while escaping the Nazis. Decades later, many of his recovered works were returned by the Dutch state, but a substantial number remain scattered worldwide.
Friedrich Kadgien (1907–1978), a senior SS financial officer, escaped to Argentina after the war. His daughter Patricia inherited the family home in Mar del Plata, where the painting was later found.
Timeline of Key Developments
- 1940 – Nazi forces confiscate Goudstikker’s collection, including the portrait.
- Post-1945 – Friedrich Kadgien flees to Argentina, bringing stolen art.
- August 2025 – Dutch newspaper *Algemeen Dagblad* correspondent Peter Schouten discovers the painting in photographs of a house for sale in Mar del Plata.
- 2025 – Argentine authorities detain Patricia Kadgien and Juan Carlos Cortegoso; the painting is surrendered.
- September 2026 – Judge Inchausti issues the restitution order; the defendants agree to the settlement and donation.
Data & Statistics
- Artist: Giacomo Ceruti (1698–1767), confirmed by Argentina’s National Academy of Fine Arts.
- Dimensions: 119.5 cm × 89 cm.
- Estimated market value: €250,000 (? $290,000).
- Donation: 4.8 million pesos (~ $3,200).
- Goudstikker’s original collection: over 1,100 works; about 300 recovered by the Dutch state after the war.
Official Statements & Responses
Prosecutor Carlos Martínez described the settlement as a form of historical reparation. Judge Inchausti announced the order to return the painting to the rightful heir. Marei von Saher, Goudstikker’s daughter-in-law, said she seeks only the return of the artwork and plans to loan it temporarily to a museum in Buenos Aires to raise public awareness of Nazi-era cultural theft.
Impact and Future Plans
The restitution highlights Argentina’s effort to address its post-war role as a refuge for Nazi fugitives. Von Saher intends to exhibit the work at the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires to educate the public about systematic looting and to encourage further recovery of looted art.
What’s Next
The painting will remain under the Argentine Supreme Court’s custody until transferred to von Saher. A temporary loan to a Buenos Aires museum is scheduled before the work is shipped to its final destination, where it will serve as a focal point for exhibitions on Holocaust-era art theft.
