A Vincent Van Gogh watercolor painting of a harvest scene that had been taken into possession by the Nazis is slated to be sold at an auction house in November.
‘Meules de blé’ (1888) is expected to sell for between $20 and $30 million. https://t.co/e1Ph7ATXWW
— Observer (@observer) October 15, 2021
The painting, which was stolen by the Nazis during World War II, is predicted to be sold for up to $30 million at an auction in New York City on Nov. 11, CNN reported. Titled Meules de Ble, which means “Wheat Stacks,” Van Gogh’s painting portrays women tending to the wheat fields in Arles, France.
Christie’s, the auction house selling the painting, said Van Gogh was “captivated” by farmers’ work and set out to capture the “rural theater” with “strokes and pools of color conveying the atmosphere of this mid-summer day with a striking vitality” in the summer of 1888.
ART EXPERTS DISCUSS RECOVERING ART LOOTED BY NAZIS
After going through several owners, including Van Gogh’s brother and his wife, the painting eventually was owned by Miriam Caroline Alexandrine de Rothschild, who was known for collecting art from Van Gogh, as well as French artists Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin. With the onset of World War II, Rothschild escaped to Switzerland, leaving behind her art collection to be snatched up by the Nazis.
Discussions regarding the proper compensation and restitution for Nazi-looted artwork that would’ve otherwise belonged to survivors of the Holocaust and their families have led to legal battles. In February, the United States Supreme Court ruled against the descendants of German Jewish art dealers who had lived during the Nazi regime and were now seeking compensation against Germany.
“After unsuccessfully seeking compensation in Germany, the heirs brought several common law property claims in the United States District Court against Germany,” the ruling said, adding that out of obligation, the court had to “abstain from deciding the case on international comity grounds.”
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The Washington Examiner reached out to Christie’s for a statement but did not receive a response back.
