Posted on 04/08/2009 10:27:27 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Two of the three paintings, visible to guests and millions of tourists at Hearst Castle since 1935, will be returned Friday to the heirs of the rightful owners, both of whom died during the war, one in the death camp at Auschwitz.
The shocking discovery, made after a lawyer for the heirs filed a claim with the California State Parks, is yet another reminder of the scope of Jewish persecution during World War II.
"Never in a million years did I think anything like this would cross my desk," said Brad Torgan, the former general counsel for the state parks who led the investigation. "It is one of the most interesting things I've ever worked on and, given the outcome, one of the most rewarding things I've worked on at state parks."
Two paintings - "Portrait of Alvise Vendramin," attributed to Jacopo Tintoretto, and a painting known as "Portrait of a Bearded Gentleman," credited to Giovanni Cariani - will be returned Friday to Peter Bloch of Boynton Beach, Fla., and Inge Blackshear of Buenos Aires.
The handover will be part of an 11 a.m. ceremony at Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento, honoring Bloch and Blackshear's grandparents, Jakob and Rosa Oppenheimer, who owned a Berlin art gallery where the paintings were displayed in the 1930s.
The other painting - "Venus and Cupid," by Paris Bordone - will remain at Hearst Castle and, along with photographic reproductions of the other pieces, be used in an exhibit in which docents will explain how the Nazis confiscated Jewish possessions.
"It brings to your mind a sad time in world history," said Hoyt Fields, museum director at Hearst Castle. "We can't let it go away. We need to remember."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Why wasn’t the third one returned?
If one has NOT seen Hearst Castle, they SHOULD!! It is UNBELIEVABLE!
My guess is that the heirs allowed it to remain at the castle.
it certainly is... we stayed in a little down called Cambria, near the beach... what a sweet little town... just about everything was closed by 8:00 in the evening... hoping to go back this summer...
Did you go to Santa Barbara? Oh MY...what a FABULOUS place!
I love Cambria. It's my favorite vacation spot in California. Stay right on Moonstone Beach...can't beat it! And the town is very pet friendly, too!
I’m guessing that they made a deal with the descendants to keep the third one as part of the exhibit on confiscated artworks they describe.
I spent an entire day at Hearst Castle back in the mid-80s. I hadn’t heard of the place and was simply passing through the area and saw the sign.
Everyone should review the comments made to the original article over on the sfgate site. There is lots of commentary about why should WWII-era Jews get their stuff back while miscellaneous historical injustices were not reversed.
“40 acres and a mule”
“Native American historical lands”
etc.
*sigh* Wish I was there.
Maybe we could raid Madeleine Albright’s art collection next, and return the stuff to its rightful owners.
Makes you wonder why Patty Hearts bothered to rob banks (
‘cause that’s where the money is). She could’ve just walked out some day with some of her parents’ things like normal teens.
Heck, just go to the Clinton house in New York and get the stuff they stole from the White House.
yes—i have also been to Solvang a couple of times and to Santa Barbara several times... all nice places to visit... i love Santa Barbara for the shopping! and they are all close to one another... about ten years ago, two friends and i took a road trip to Solvang, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica... we had so much fun... almost every year, my mother, four sisters, two nieces and one sister-in-law take a four-day trip somewhere... some of the places we’ve hit are: Santa Barbara, Cambria, Santa Monica, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Capitola... a few years ago, my husband, two children and i vacationed at the Bacara in Santa Barbara... a lovely place...
Been to Darling Solvang!
Breakfast in Solvang... wonderful!
We spent a day at Hearst Castle. You’d probably need a week to take all the tours.
We also toured the Winchester home.
Took a bay tour of San Fran bay..
Pancakes in Solvang.
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