A New York court has ruled to return a painting by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani to its heirs, which was confiscated during the Nazi occupation of France. The decision was made after more than a decade of litigation. This was reported by The New York Times, according to UNN.
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New York Supreme Court Justice Joel M. Cohen ruled in favor of the heirs of antique dealer Oscar Stettiner. The painting in question is "Seated Man with a Cane" (1918).
The court ruled that this particular work belonged to the Jewish antique dealer before its illegal seizure, and therefore Stettiner is the heir to the painting.
Oscar Stettiner owned the painting, or at least had a superior right to possess it, before its illegal seizure, and he never voluntarily relinquished it.
The heirs' lawsuit was filed in New York in 2015. They claimed that the painting was confiscated from Stettiner's Parisian shop during the Nazi occupation and subsequently sold.
The case was challenged by the holding company International Art Center, controlled by art dealer David Nahmad.
The company acquired the painting at auction in 1996 and stored it in Switzerland. In addition, in court documents, company representatives stated that there were doubts as to whether this painting was the same work that belonged to Stettiner.
After more than 11 years of litigation, the court finally established that the painting belonged to Oscar Stettiner and was illegally seized. Accordingly, the heirs gained the right to its return.