Stolen Spanish Art

After a lengthy legal battle, a California court has decided that Spanish museum can keep a painting titled “Rue Saint-Honoré, Après-midi, Effet de Pluie,” by Camille Pissarro that a German Jewish woman has stated that she was forced to sell the painting before fleeing the Nazis.

The federal court held that ownership was governed by Spanish law, which allows buyers to retain works they purchased if they did not possess “actual knowledge” the work had been stolen.

The original owner, Lilly Cassirer, had been forced to sell the painting to a Nazi art appraiser in 1939 for the equivalent of $360 which eventually made it’s way to the Madrid museum as part of the collection acquired by Spain from Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza. In 1958, she received financial compensation from the German government for the loss of her painting. But as part of the settlement, she did not waive her right to seek its return.

In its ruling this week, the California court found that Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza paid “fair market value” when he acquired the Pissarro painting for $300,000 in 1976 but should have done more to take it’s connection to Nazi looting.

Overall, the court found, “there is no evidence that the baron made any inquiries regarding the painting’s provenance or conducted any investigation of the painting’s provenance before purchasing it.” The Pissarro painting has been on display in Madrid since 1992 and  now ranks among the most visited places in the Spanish capital.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the dispute over Stolen Spanish Art! Who do you believe is the rightful owner of “Rue Saint-Honoré, Après-midi, Effet de Pluie?” Join the conversation below!