A lost painting looted by Nazis has gone missing again, days after it was spotted in a real estate advert for a house in Argentina. Portrait of a Lady, a 17th-Century painting by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi, was stolen from Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikker by SS Commander Hermann Goering in the 1940s and later acquired by Nazi officer Friedrich Kadgien, who fled to Argentina with the painting after the war. Following an investigation by Dutch newspaper AD the painting was spotted by chance in a property listing on a house owned by Kadgien’s daughters, but when police went to investigate on Wednesday, the painting had disappeared. “The painting is not in the house… but we’re going to keep searching for it,” said prosecutor Carlos Martinez. In its place was “a generously dimensioned tapestry of a landscape and horses,” although marks on the wall indicated something else had been there. Since the discovery, estate agent Robles Casas & Campos, has removed the property from its books, and Kadgien’s daughter, who had previously refused to cooperate with reporters, has since changed her username on social media. Although no charges have been filed against them yet, Goudstikker’s estate announced plans to sue the Kadgiens. If the painting is found to be in their possession, they could face prosecution for concealing criminal property. Because the Nazis stole the painting during wartime, the crime is not subject to the statute of limitations under international law.
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