Looted Goudstikker painting reappears in Argentine estate listing

A painting that Nazi looters seized from a Dutch Jewish art dealer decades ago has reappeared, appearing in the background of a real estate listing for a house in Argentina. The Portrait of a Lady Contessa Colleoni, attributed to the late Baroque painter Vittore Ghislandi (also known as Fra Galgario) and dated 1743, was once part of Jacques Goudstikker’s vast Amsterdam collection. An ongoing investigation by Dutch researchers has established a strong link between the work and its long-lost ownership, with authorities noting that the dimensions and styling align with the known original.

The painting was visible above a sofa in a photograph accompanying a listing for a property advertised by an Argentine real estate firm. Researchers from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands reviewed the image and concluded there is a high likelihood it is the authentic Portrait of a Lady, citing the piece’s dimensions and the absence of obvious features that would indicate a forgery. Final verification could come from examining the back of the canvas for provenance marks or labels that would confirm its origin. The artwork is listed in national and international records as one of the...