Friday 21 February 2014

Top Missing Art from WWII

When Monuments Men (2014) came out it was a pretty big deal for Art History nerds like myself (movie trailer link below). Although skewed to make itself a big screen hit, it is roughly based on a true story. So after watching this movie I decided to dig up a little dirt and see what art is still missing from World War II. Alas, here is my list:

1. Portrait of a Young Man, Raphael. Stolen during the war from Czartoryski's family collection in Krakow, Poland, being one of the most valuable plunders. A friend of Hitler's was said to have brought it to the Royal Wawel Castle in Poland for his own personal use back in 1945. Since then it has never been seen. Rumor has it that it may be locked up in a Swiss Vault.

Raphael, Portrait of a Young Man
Portrait of a Young Man. Raphael. 1513-1514. 

2. Portrait of a Lady by Caravaggio. This piece was kept in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin, and it thought to be missing or destroyed during the war.

Portrait of a Lady by Caravaggio


3. The Amber Room. Made during the 18th century in Prussia, the Amber Room was known once as the eighth wonder of the world. It was entirely looted during World War II. It has since been recreated in 2003. 
Close up detail of Reconstructed Amber Room.

4. Five Dancing Women, Degas. Stolen by the Nazis from Jewish Art Collector Baron Mor Lipot Herzog, this beautiful pastel piece has unfortunately never been returned.

Edgar Degas, Five Dancing Women (Ballerinas)
Five Dancing Women. Degas.

5.  Madonna with Child by Giovanni Bellini. Placed in a museum in Berlin, this piece was brought to a flak tower where is was said to have been burned or looted under Russian control.                           

Giovanni Bellini, Madonna with Child
Madonna with Child. Giovanni Bellini.


And last but not least, the trailer for Monuments Men: