History - Nazi-looted art: public collection buys Corinth at auction
Following its classification as looted art and restitution to its former Jewish owners, the painting "Reclining Female Nude" by Impressionist Lovis Corinth is now part of a large public collection. The painting was auctioned off on Thursday evening for 377,000 euros in agreement with the heirs of the art collector Oskar Skaller, who was robbed by the National Socialists, according to the Munich auction house Neumeister. Neumeister did not reveal which collection the artwork now belongs to.
Corinth painted the self-confidently looking woman in 1915, according to the announcement, during one of his most important creative phases. He was one of the most sought-after artists at the time. On the occasion of his 65th birthday in 1923, the National Gallery in Berlin organized an exhibition for him, in which the now auctioned "Reclining Nude" also hung.
According to Neumeister, the painting had come into the collection of the Berlin pharmacist and politician Oskar Skaller (1874-1944) via the art dealer Fritz Gurlitt. The Nazis put the Jewish family under increasing pressure and forced them to pay a property levy, among other things. Completely destitute, Skaller and his wife emigrated to South Africa in 1939, where they both died in 1944. In 1942, the lawyer Conrad Doebbeke secured the painting. In 1977, it turned up at Neumeister and was sold.
A researcher later classified the painting as Nazi-looted art. The new owners decided to clarify the provenance and reach an agreement with Skaller's heirs on restitution.
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- Despite being classified as Nazi-looted art, the auction house Neumeister chose to auction off the famed Corinth painting, "Reclining Female Nude," with agreement from the heirs of the original art collector, Oskar Skaller, who was robbed by the National Socialists in Bavaria, Germany.
- Interestingly, the "Reclining Nude" was purchased during an auction for 377,000 euros, becoming part of a significant public collection in Germany, joining other works of Art and acting as a testament to the country's commitment to restitution.
- The current state of classification of the Corinth painting as Nazi-looted art raises questions about the long history of art and its role in politics, particularly during the rise of National Socialism in Germany.
- The original owner, Oskar Skaller, a prominent pharmacist and politician based in Munich, ended up in South Africa as a result of the Nazis' aggressive actions against Jews in Germany, leading to the loss of his valuable art collection.
- Oskar Skaller's grandson, living in Bavaria, shared his gratitude towards the auction house Neumeister for their cooperation in resolving the complex issues surrounding the Corinth painting's restitution within Germany's legal framework, ensuring the family's history with the work of art remains preserved in the country's Art and historical Classification.
Source: www.stern.de
