[monday]

"If the British Museum had not bought them, they would have wound up as a placemats in some Bavarian diner or something."

Please. Drawings by old masters were recognized as valuable when the museum bought them. Nine Guineas was a lot of money. They would NOT have wound up as place mats. The British museum did not rescue them.

[ken5050]

re the paintings...one would tend to suspect it is about the $$..and rightfully so..the family is entitled to the value..want to wager that if they got them back..they'd sell them?..there are probably scores of descendents..they'd have to be sold to pay off every one..FWIW, the Quen should step in, and offer the family heirs the $$$..she's got plenty..that would make everyone happy..