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Masters Thesis-Mary Ellen Stanley ABSTRACT Plunder and Profit: Museums, Private Collectors, and Nazi Looted Art Mary Ellen Stanley, M.A. Thesis Chairperson: Julie L. Holcomb, Ph.D. Throughout World War II, looting was an activity that was widely embraced by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States Armed Forces. Although the natures of looting varied among these specific entities, every theft left a mark on the history of art in both the private and public collections of Europe. The repercussions continue to affect the contemporary art world and museum collections practices. Owing to the lack of standards in the museum field, works with questionable provenance lie in museum’s collections that detrimentally affect museums’ public service missions and their accountability to the public. As a result an ethical quagmire is created in which museums must re-evaluate their collections management practices and acknowledge the realities of the art market in order to remain within ethical practices. This thesis investigates World War II looting, restitution efforts, cases, and the contemporary challenges museums are facing with Nazi looted art. Plunder and Profit: Museums, Private Collectors, and Nazi Looted Art by Mary Ellen Stanley, B.A A Thesis Approved by the Department of Museum Studies ____________________________________ Kenneth C. Hafertepe, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by Thesis Committee __________________________________ Julie L. Holcomb, Ph.D., Chairperson __________________________________ Kenneth C. Hafertepe, Ph.D. __________________________________ Heidi J. Hornik, Ph.D. __________________________________ Gary N. Smith, M.A. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2013 ______________________________ J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School Copyright © 2013 by Mary Ellen Stanley All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................................................................vi DEDICATION...................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER ONE..................................................................................................................1 History of Looting during World War II...........……………………………….....1 Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany…………………………………............2 Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany’s Art Collection Methods....................13 Intentions for the Works Looted by the Third Reich…………….............18 The Soviet Union.......................................................................................19 The United States Armed Forces…………………………………...........24 CHAPTER TWO...............................................................................................................32 Nazi Repositories and Allied Restitution Efforts…………………………..........32 Monuments Men…………………………………………………............33 Western European Repositories………………………………….............36 Neuschwanstein Castle……………………………………………..........37 Altaussee…………………………………………………………...........39 The Jeu de Paume…………………………………………………..........42 Other Storage and Protection Efforts…………………………….............46 Beginning of Allied Restitutions…………...……………………............47 Issues and Conflicts with Restitutions……………………………...........51 Documentation of Nazi Looted Art………………………………...........56 CHAPTER THREE...........................................................................................................64 Modern Day Restitutions.....................................................................................64 Art Acquisitions and the Art Market Post-World War II..........................65 Contemporary Provenance Research.........................................................79 American Organizations Standards in Accessions....................................73 International Efforts...................................................................................76 Technology.................................................................................................77 Popular Media............................................................................................83 Contemporary Motivations for Restitution................................................84 CHAPTER FOUR..............................................................................................................89 Contemporary Restitution Cases...........................................................................89 Maria Altmann...........................................................................................93 Museum of Modern Art, New York..........................................................97 iii Elicofon....................................................................................................100 Southern Methodist University, Meadows Museum of Art.....................103 Kimbell Art Museum...............................................................................107 Museum Standards in Restitution Cases..................................................111 CHAPTER FIVE.............................................................................................................114 The Private Collector...........................................................................................114 The G Family...........................................................................................115 Methods and Motivations of the G Family..............................................116 Pursuit of the Boy....................................................................................118 Portrait of a Child, Bust-Length, In a Red Coat and White Shirt, With a Green Ribbon..............................................................................122 The Painting’s World War II History......................................................126 Receiving the Painting and the Transfer in Ownership...........................140 Purchasing in the Art Market...................................................................145 CHAPTER SIX Conclusion...........................................................................................................149 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................165 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Jean-Baptiste Huet (Paris 1745-1811), Portrait of a child, bust length, in a red coat and white shirt, with a green ribbon...........................................122 Figure 2. Verso of Portrait of a child, bust length, in a red coat and white shirt, with a green ribbon...........................................................................................129 Figure 3. Edmond de Rothschild Stamp, “ER 63”...........................................................130 Figure 4. Edmond de Rothschild Sticker, “ER 63”.........................................................131 Figure 5. Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg stamp, “R 69”..........................................132 Figure 6. Linz Identification Number, “1496”. ...............................................................132 Figure 7. Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, Record “R 69”........................................134 Figure 8. Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, Record “R 69”........................................135 Figure 9. Cultural Plunder by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, Photographic Record “R 69”...................................................................................................136 Figure 10. Database on the “Munich Central Collection Point,” search results for Munich No. 3010 and Linz-No. 1496.........................................................137 Figure 11. File-Card MCCP Control Number File..........................................................138 Figure 12. MCCP Restitution Card File..........................................................................139 Figure 13. MCCP Restitution Card File..........................................................................140 Figure 14. Special Commission Linz Photograph...........................................................140 Figure 15. Verso of Painting detailing Harari and Johns, Ltd. Sticker and Christies Chalk markings................................................................................................142 Figure 16. Christie’s Auction Purchase Summary...........................................................143 Figure 17. Christie’s Invoice............................................................................................144 Figure 18. Christie’s Invoice, Christie’s Art Transportation...........................................145 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following people for their assistance, collaboration and guidance in the writing and research of this thesis. Firstly I would like to thank Dr. Julie Holcomb, my thesis committee chair, for introducing me to the subject of looted art and fostering my passion for the subject. I greatly appreciate your guidance and enthusiasm for my topic. Thank you to Dr. Kenneth Hafertepe, Dr. Heidi Hornik and Mr. Gary Smith for serving on my thesis committee. I would also like to thank the G family who so welcomingly opened up their home and collections for me to investigate.
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