Two Stolen 17th Century Paintings Unveiled at the Louvre: A Journey of Memory

Two 17th Century Still Lifes Return to the Louvre

Two 17th century still lifes, looted during the Occupation and exhibited at the Louvre Museum since the 1950s, have finally been returned to the rightful heirs of a Jewish family. The paintings, titled “Still Life with Ham” by Floris van Schooten and “Food, Fruit and Glass on a Table” by Peter Binoit, were originally placed in the Nordic painting rooms of the Louvre under the status of “National Recovery Museums” (MNR) works. MNR status is assigned to looted works that were not returned after World War II and placed under the protection of national museums.

The Louvre will now continue to exhibit these paintings, alongside historical documents related to the Javal family, who originally owned them. A significant keyword here is 'duty of memory', underscoring the importance of remembering those despoiled and persecuted during the war. According to one descendant, this exhibition serves to honor her family's legacy and ensure that their history continues to speak to current generations.

Uncovering the Past: Proactive Research and Recovery

The beneficiaries of the Javal family, five members of whom were deported and murdered at Auschwitz, were recently identified through the diligent efforts of the Ministry of Culture, the National Archives, and the Commission for Compensation for Victims of Spoliation (CIVS), with help from genealogists. Their research revealed that the paintings, initially thought to belong to the 'Juralides' collection, were actually owned by Mathilde Javal.

Mathilde Javal's attempt to retrieve her family's art at the end of the war in 1945 laid the foundational evidence required to track the rightful heirs. Despite missteps due to spelling errors in the family name and address, the combined effort of numerous researchers and genealogists successfully connected the paintings back to the Javal family.

Notably, this effort was made possible by a 2015 agreement between Généalogistes de France and the Ministry of Culture, which facilitated the free identification of living heirs to several MNR works. The Louvre, as one of the custodians of these works, is responsible for 1,610 MNR items, including 791 paintings.

Despite these successes, a significant number of artworks remain unreturned to rightful owners. After World War II, around 60,000 stolen works were returned to France. While 45,000 were restored to their original owners, approximately 15,000 remained unclaimed. 13,000 pieces were sold by the state, and 2,200 were entrusted to national museums where they remain today.