A renowned painting, missing since 1940, resurfaced in an Argentine real estate ad, reigniting a decades-old mystery.
Discovery in an Argentine Real Estate Ad
The image of the lost painting was spotted in a property-for-sale advertisement near the capital of Argentina. The artwork, titled “Portret damy,” was created by the Italian painter Fra Galgario, who lived at the turn of the 18th century. It disappeared in 1940 after being stolen by SS officer Friedrich Kadgien, who fled to South America after World War II. Kadgien died in 1978 in Buenos Aires. The painting’s reappearance in the ad has drawn new attention to its whereabouts.
The Painting Vanishes Again
Following reports of the discovery, police conducted a raid on the property owned by Kadgien’s daughter, Patricia Kadgien. However, “Portret damy” was no longer present when officers searched the home. Instead, they found two pieces of weaponry. Investigators suspect smuggling activities, as journalists confirmed evidence suggesting the painting was removed shortly after media coverage about it emerged.
The Case of the Missing Painting by Abraham Mignon
Before the Nazis seized it, the painting was owned by Jewish merchant Jacques Goudstikker. Goudstikker’s heir and lawyers handling the case have vowed to recover the artwork. For years, the newspaper “AD” unsuccessfully tried to contact Patricia Kadgien and her SS officer father’s other daughter. Journalists also noted that one of Kadgien’s daughters posted an image of another stolen work by 17th-century Dutch artist Abraham Mignon on her social media account.
Source: Gazeta, https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wojna#anchorLink], https://next.gazeta.pl/next/0, https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7
