“The emotions tied to reclaiming something taken so brutally can't be measured in dollars—it's priceless,” said James Dennehy, assistant director in charge of the FBI in New York City, after the organisation helped bring back Nazi-looted Monet painting after 80 years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Art Crime Team, the New York and New Orleans Field Offices, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana Wednesday announced the repatriation of a Claude Monet pastel on paper, “Bord de Mer.”
The painting, created around 1865, was purchased by the Parlagi family at an Austrian art auction in 1936. A few years later, in 1940, during World War II, the pastel was seized by Gestapo, the Nazis' secret police force.
Eventually, the Monet was purchased at an auction by a Nazi art dealer and disappeared in 1941.
The Parlagi family has spent decades looking for the painting.
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In 2023, the FBI got a lead when the artwork was listed for sale at a Houston art gallery. The team contacted Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Schlamp, the owners of the artwork, and explained its looted history. Schlamps voluntarily surrendered the piece.
Following this, with the help of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, a consent judgment was secured in May 2024. The judgment awarded full ownership of the Monet to the Parlagi heirs.
“We are honored to have played a role in returning this stolen artwork to its rightful owners,” said James Dennehy. “While this Monet is undoubtedly valuable, its true worth lies in what it represents to the Parlagi family. It's a connection to their history, their loved ones, and a legacy that was nearly erased,” he added.
The FBI's work on this case is ongoing. Several other pieces of artwork were stolen from the Parlagi family in 1940 and the search is on.
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