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Nazi-looted artwork discovered in family of Dutch SS officer
An art detective has located a painting stolen from a Jewish collector during World War II in the home of relatives of a prominent Dutch Nazi collaborator. The portrait, Portrait of a Young Girl by Toon Kelder, had reportedly hung in the family's residence for decades.
Origins of the stolen artwork
The painting belonged to Jacques Goudstikker, a Jewish art dealer who fled the Netherlands in 1940 as Nazi forces invaded. Goudstikker died during his escape, leaving behind a collection of over 1,000 artworks. His heirs have spent decades attempting to recover pieces looted by the Nazis.
Family's admission and investigation
The case came to light after a descendant of Hendrik Seyffardt, a Dutch general who led a Waffen-SS unit, contacted art detective Arthur Brand. The descendant, who expressed disgust upon learning the painting's history, said his grandmother had admitted the artwork was stolen from Goudstikker but claimed the family was unaware of its origins.
"I feel ashamed. The painting should be returned to the heirs of Goudstikker."
Descendant of Hendrik Seyffardt, speaking to De Telegraaf
The grandmother told the same outlet: "I received it from my mother. Now that you confront me like this, I understand that Goudstikker's heirs want the painting back. I didn't know that."
How the painting was traced
Brand's investigation revealed a label on the back of the painting and the number 92 etched into its frame. He cross-referenced this with records from a 1940 auction where much of Goudstikker's looted collection was sold, identifying the artwork as Portrait of a Young Girl by Toon Kelder.
Brand believes the painting was plundered by Hermann Göring, a high-ranking Nazi official, before being sold to Seyffardt at auction. It was later passed down through the family, who changed their surname after the war.
Legal and moral implications
The family, while denying knowledge of the painting's provenance, has acknowledged possessing it. Brand criticized their decision to retain the artwork for decades, stating they "had the opportunity to do the right thing and return this painting. They chose not to."
Goudstikker's heirs' lawyers confirmed the collector had owned six works by Kelder, all of which were included in the 1940 auction where the portrait was sold.
A pattern of Nazi-looted art resurfacing
This case mirrors a previous discovery involving a painting from Goudstikker's collection, which appeared in an Argentine estate listing. The artwork, Portrait of a Lady by Giuseppe Ghislandi, was photographed in a home once owned by a senior Nazi official who relocated to South America after the war. Authorities raided the property, but the painting had already been removed.
"Discovering a painting from the famous Goudstikker collection, in the possession of the heirs of a notorious and famous Dutch Waffen-SS general, truly tops everything."
Arthur Brand, art detective
