Stolen Baroque Landscape Painting Returned to German Museum After 78 Years
A stolen painting belonging to Germany has been returned after being missing for over 78 years, thanks to the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The artwork, titled “Landscape of Italian Character,” was recovered by the FBI after a company sought their help in retrieving it from a Chicago resident. This incident sheds light on the important work of recovering stolen art and returning them to their rightful owners.
The painting, created by Vienna-born artist Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer in the early 18th century, was reportedly stolen from the Bavarian State Paintings Collections in Munich in 1945. It has now been returned to a representative of the Alte Pinakothek museum at the German consulate in Chicago. The exact value of the painting has not been publicly evaluated by experts.
Art Recovery International, based in Italy, played a crucial role in the recovery of the stolen artwork. A Chicago resident informed the company that their late uncle possessed the stolen painting. The uncle, who obtained the artwork after serving in World War II, has since passed away. However, the resident initially requested a “finder’s fee” from the company, which they declined due to the circumstances surrounding the painting’s possession.
Christopher Marinello, the founder of Art Recovery International, then sought assistance from the FBI’s art crime team. Interestingly, Marinello revealed that the same individual who tipped off his company about the stolen painting had previously attempted to sell it in the Chicago art market in 2011. Upon being informed of its stolen status, the individual withdrew and disappeared.
Verification of the painting’s authenticity was carried out by Alte Pinakothek and researchers from Art Recovery International in 2022. The Alte Pinakothek museum plans to display the painting alongside another artwork by Lauterer featuring similar motifs of the Italian countryside.
This is not the first time that stolen art has been recovered from US soldiers who served in World War II. In 2015, the FBI successfully recovered three artworks stolen by US soldiers from a German museum in Dessau.
The FBI is yet to comment on the recent recovery of the stolen painting, as requests for comment were sent outside regular office hours. Nevertheless, this successful retrieval marks a significant step in the ongoing fight against art theft and the preservation of cultural heritage.