A painting saved by the Allies’ Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program – also known as the Monuments Men – during World War II is set to be auctioned, marking another chapter in its storied history.
The portrait, titled “Portrait de femme à mi-corps” by French artist Nicolas de Largillierre, is expected to sell for between $55,000 and $88,000 at Christie’s on November 21.
The portrait, which depicts a woman in elegant attire, was originally commissioned for the court of King Louis XIV. During the Nazi occupation of France in 1940, it was seized from a bank vault belonging to Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Arcachon and taken to Paris’s Jeu de Paume Museum.
The museum was used by the Nazis as a storage facility for looted art before they moved much of it to Germany, including this painting. At the end of the war, the Monuments Men – a special unit tasked with recovering stolen cultural treasures – found the painting at Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle.
The mission to protect art
The Monuments Men worked tirelessly to locate and safeguard artworks and cultural objects targeted by the Nazis. They uncovered thousands of pieces hidden in castles, mines and other secret locations across Europe.
Among them was “Portrait de femme”, which, like many recovered pieces, was eventually returned to its rightful owners in 1946.
Auction highlights historical importance
Marc Porter, chairman of Christie’s Americas, emphasized the significance of the painting beyond its monetary value. “This is not the story of a restitution of a work that’s enormously valuable, but it has the depth of the story and the history,” Porter said.
The photograph of the painting’s recovery at Neuschwanstein Castle, showing a group of Monuments Men holding the portrait, is featured on the cover of Robert M. Edsel’s book “The Monuments Men”, which later inspired a 2014 film directed by George Clooney.
The role of Rose Valland
French art historian Rose Valland played a critical role in tracking Nazi-looted artworks. Working in secret at the Jeu de Paume, she meticulously recorded German inventories of stolen pieces, providing invaluable information that allowed the Monuments Men to locate and recover them.
Her efforts earned her honors, including France’s Médaille de la Résistance and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.
A legacy of preservation
The “Portrait de femme” painting was saved and exhibits the legacy of the Monuments Men, who risked their lives to protect art and culture during one of history’s darkest times. Decades later, this auction serves as a tribute to them and individuals like Valland, whose courage preserved countless pieces of history.
