Argentine couple must return Goudstikker looted painting to heir

A painting titled Damesportret has been returned to the heir of Jewish-Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The artwork was part of a collection looted by Nazis following the 1940 invasion of the Netherlands. It was later discovered in the home of Patricia Kadgien, the daughter of a Nazi official who had relocated to Argentina after the war. An investigation was triggered after an AD reporter identified the painting in photographs of a house listed for sale.

Following its identification, the artwork briefly disappeared, leading to a period of uncertainty. However, international media pressure eventually compelled Kadgien to surrender the painting to authorities on September 3. As part of a legal settlement, the couple relinquished all claims to the piece. The portrait will now be formally transferred to Marei von Saher, the daughter-in-law and sole heir of the original owner, Jacques Goudstikker, marking the end of the long-standing recovery effort for the looted item.