Paris (France) (AFP) – A painting painted by a 17th century Dutch master, stolen by the Nazis from a French Jewish family in 1942, was returned to his heirs on Friday during a ceremony organized at the Ministry of Culture.

Published on: 06/11/2026 - 18:38

The painting, entitled "Portrait of a Woman in Blue" and created by the painter Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen (1593-1661), born in London but of Flemish origin, was stolen by the Nazis from Gabrielle Philippson's home in Paris, a few weeks after her death.

Hermann Goering, one of the highest dignitaries of the Nazi regime, chose this painting for his personal collection. It was also found just after the war in Berchtesgaden, with the rest of Goering's personal collection.

If Gabrielle Philippson's children managed to recover a whole series of objects stolen from their family just after the war, including another painting which went hand in hand with the "Portrait of a Woman in Blue", this last work remained untraceable for a long time.

The painting was finally found in 2023, at the Massey museum in Tarbes, which had acquired it in 1985. The city of Tarbes and the Philippson family reached an agreement to allow the painting to remain at the museum in exchange for a new acquisition for the benefit of the family, at the current value of the work.

“The restitution of this painting reminds us that looted works are found today in public collections, acquired without their provenance having been known or understood,” said the Minister of Culture Catherine Pgard, quoted in the press kit.

A framework law of July 22, 2023 makes it possible to facilitate the restitution of looted works entered into public collections, which was previously not automatic under the principle of inalienability of works of art in museums.

During World War II, the Nazis methodically looted works of art owned by Jews, which were resold, collected by high-ranking dignitaries or destined for Hitler's mega-project "Führermuseum".

Around 38,000 apartments whose Jewish residents had fled or been arrested were looted in France by the Germans, recalled Catherine Pgard.

© 2026 AFP

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