Germany will return van Huysum painting stolen in 1944 to Pitti Palace

Collaboration between Germany and Italy in the return of illegally stolen works of art is increasingly fruitful. After returning a Roman marble head from the 2nd century AD that was stolen a few decades ago, Germany has announced that it will also return to Italy the Flower Vase by Jan van Huysum (Amsterdam, 1682 - 1749) stolen in Florence in 1944 by Wehrmacht soldiers. The restitution process was made difficult by the fact that the owner, a private collector, had been unwilling to return the work to Italy, but now the fortunes of the affair seem to have changed and cultural diplomacy will allow the return of the Dutch still life to the Galleria Palatina in Palazzo Pitti, its rightful home.

For the canvas to return home, the director of the Uffizi Galleries, Eike D. Schmidt, had made a personal effort by launching an appeal to his country in early 2019, asking that the work be returned. Since then, the Italian Ministry of Culture has been working together with the German Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Culture. The return was made possible thanks to the work of the Integrated Committee for the Recovery and Restitution of Cultural Property, made up of delegations from the Ministries of Cultural Heritage, Foreign Affairs, and Justice, and thanks to the work of the Florence Public Prosecutor’s Office, which reconstructed the whole story of the painting and had initiated international procedures for its return.

“I want to thank for the collaboration my colleague at the Farnesina,” said Cultural Heritage Minister Alberto Bonisoli, “who made available the Italian diplomatic network through which it was possible to complete this restitution operation. Although we had already known about this restitution for a couple of weeks, we had kept it confidential until today because we were planning to organize the restitution to coincide with the visit of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who will be in Italy in September. The return of the Framework of Flowers to Italy is yet another confirmation of the effectiveness of cultural diplomacy. And I am particularly proud to have been able to start this virtuous system of dialogue between different countries, which is also useful as a tool to counter the illegal market of cultural goods. In this regard, I want to thank the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Command, whose investigative activities play a very important role in protecting our cultural heritage. We have also proceeded with the return of several objects to Mexico and China, and other returns will take place in the coming months. These include that of an Andrea Della Robbia statue depicting St. Mary Magdalene, which will be returned to Germany at a ceremony in Berlin as soon as some bureaucratic procedures are completed.”

Pictured, Eike D. Schmidt shows the reproduction of the Jan van Huysum painting at the Pitti Palace.

Germany will return van Huysum painting stolen in 1944 to Pitti Palace

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