A painting lost for 80 years after being looted by the Nazis during World War II has been ordered by an Argentine court to be returned to the heir of its rightful owner. The late-baroque artwork, titled "Portrait of a Lady," was discovered last year in Argentina.
The painting was among over 1,000 artworks stolen from the collection of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker following the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in 1940. Goudstikker's daughter-in-law and sole heir, Marei von Saher, has been working to recover the stolen pieces.
"Portrait of a Lady" was first identified in August 2025 by the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad (AD) on an estate agent's website for a property in the coastal town of Mar del Plata. The painting was found hanging above a sofa in the living room of Patricia Kadgien. Her father, Friedrich Kadgien, was a high-ranking adviser to Hermann Göring, Adolf Hitler's deputy, who was known for plundering artworks across Europe.
Patricia Kadgien and her husband have now agreed to return the painting to von Saher. In exchange for cooperating with the return, Kadgien will not face prosecution for concealing the artwork from authorities. The couple's legal representatives attended a court hearing in Mar del Plata regarding the painting's ownership.
Marei von Saher intends for the painting to be temporarily exhibited at the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires to raise awareness about looted art. She has previously stated her family's commitment to recovering all artworks stolen from Jacques Goudstikker's collection and restoring his legacy.