A painting stolen by the Nazis during the Second World War still hangs with heirs of Dutch SS general Hendrik Seyffardt. This is evident from research by the Dutch newspaper ‘De Telegraaf’ and the world-famous art detective Arthur Brand.
Source: AD.nl
This is the painting ‘Portrait of a young girl’ by the famous Dutch painter Toon Kelder (1894-1973). The work was once part of the famous collection of the Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker from Amsterdam. It has been a mystery for years where exactly the painting was located, until now.
Goudstikker’s collection was looted during the war and ended up with Nazi leader Hermann Göring, among others. In a roundabout way it eventually ended up with Seyffardt. The SS general was liquidated in The Hague in 1943 by members of the resistance.
A relative of Seyffardt says he is ashamed and calls for the painting to be returned to its rightful heirs. According to Brand, it has been established that it is stolen art, but legal action is difficult. The current owner of the painting says she did not know it was a stolen work.
The ball started rolling after our Dutch colleagues from the ‘Algemeen Dagblad’ reported last summer about the discovery of another stolen Goudstikker painting in Argentina. The AD, in collaboration with researcher Paul Post, found the canvas through an advertisement on the website of a real estate agent in the home of the Argentine daughters of a high Nazi official. After that revelation, the Argentine police raided the house to confiscate the painting.
