Charlotte Biskoff van Heemskerk, a resident of the Netherlands, received back a painting that was stolen from her father by the Nazis during World War II.
According to The Guardian, a portrait painted by the artist Caspar Netscher in 1683 has returned to its rightful owner.
During the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, Heemskerkʼs father kept the canvas in a bank in the city of Arnhem, hoping it would be safe there. The Nazis looted the bank and stole the painting. After the cityʼs liberation in 1944, the painting could not be found.
But the London Commission on Stolen Art managed to find out that the canvas was exhibited in a gallery in Dusseldorf in the 1950s, and in 1969 it was sold at auction in Amsterdam. The painting belonged to a German private collector.
After lengthy negotiations, the collector agreed to give the painting to the ownerʼs daughter, Charlotte Biscoff, who is now 101 years old. Heemskerk is currently exhibiting this painting at Sothebyʼs auction in London. The auction is scheduled for July 6. It is expected that up to £ 50,000 will be paid for the painting.