How a real estate website helped authorities recover painting that was 'stolen' during World War 2

A painting believed to have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II has been recovered after it was spotted in an

online real estate listing

. The painting,

Giuseppe Ghislandi

's Portrait of a Lady, had been missing for 80 years. It was found hanging in a home in Argentina, which belonged to a deceased SS officer. After the artwork was identified from the photos of a real estate website listing, the family in possession of the painting turned it over to the authorities. The painting was one of more than a thousand artworks looted by the Nazis from the collection of a Jewish art dealer in 1940. It was last seen in the hands of SS officer Friedrich Kadgien, who fled Germany after the war and settled in Argentina. The artwork was discovered when Kadgien's daughter listed the family home for sale online. When authorities arrived at the house to investigate, they found the painting had been replaced with a tapestry. However, the family ultimately chose to turn the piece in.

What authorities said after recovering the lost painting

In a statement to The New York Times, a federal prosecutor named Carlos Martínez said: “The family’s lawyer brought it; he showed up at the prosecutor’s office and said he wanted to hand over the painting we were looking for, and nothing else.”That, hopefully, signals it is finally on the path to returning home. According to the report, the family of Goudstikker—the art dealer who was forced to give up the painting—has filed a claim seeking its return.

Regarding the Kadgien children, it seems their troubles aren’t over yet. As per the report, they were scheduled for a court hearing this week, where they could still face charges for concealing the artwork.The report also suggests the family may hold additional stolen pieces, as at least two other paintings were recovered from another residence linked to one of Kadgien’s daughters.