Museum to Sell 16th-Century Portrait to Settle Family's Claim

Settlement with heirs ends ongoing restitution dispute
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 26, 2024 4:03 PM CDT
Museum to Sell 16th-Century Portrait to Settle Family's Claim
This undated image provided by the Allentown Art Museum shows "Portrait of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony," a portrait by German Renaissance master Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop.   (Allentown Art Museum via AP)

The Allentown Art Museum in Pennsylvania has opted to auction "Portrait of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony," a 16th-century artwork, in order to resolve a restitution claim by the heirs of its former owner. Acquired in 1961 from a New York gallery, the painting was attributed to German Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop. It originally belonged to Henry Bromberg, a German judge who fled Nazi persecution.

Henry Bromberg and his spouse Hertha were forced to sell their art collection, including this painting, while escaping Nazi Germany in 1938. The Bromberg descendants approached the museum two years ago, initiating settlement discussions. The uncertainty about when and where the painting was sold—either in Germany under duress or as they emigrated to the US—led to a compromise, with the museum and Bromberg heirs agreeing to divide the auction proceeds. Museum President Max Weintraub emphasized the ethical responsibility to return the painting, stating, "That moral imperative compelled us to act."

Christie's will sell the portrait in January at its Old Master sale; the painting's value is still being assessed. Nicholas O'Donnell, the museum's lawyer, highlighted the settlement as an alternative to a court battle. The Bromberg family continues to search for about 80 other artworks lost during the Nazi era. The family expressed satisfaction in the museum's thorough provenance check of the Cranach piece. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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