The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) restitute the “Portrait of a Lady as Pomona” by Nicolas de Largillière from the holdings of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery)

28 January 2021

[Translate to English:] Die Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden restituieren Nicolas de Largillières „Bildnis einer Dame als Pomona“ aus dem Bestand der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister

The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) are restituting the “Portrait of a Lady as Pomona” from the holdings of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister to the descendants of Jules Strauss (1861–1943). The painting is returning to Paris with the help of the French Embassy in Berlin and the French Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Spoliation (CIVS).

Nicolas de Largillière (1656–1746), one of the most famous French portraitists of his day, depicts a Lady (formerly identified as the Marquise de Parabère, mistress of Regent Philippe Orléans) dressed as Pomona in a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphosis.

The Jewish banker and renowned art collector Jules Strauss was born in Frankfurt and lived and worked in Paris, where he purchased this painting in 1928.

During the course of extensive research carried out by members of the Jules Strauss family, they became aware of an entry in the Lost Art Internet Database run by the German Lost Art Foundation, which had been made by the SKD after having identified the painting’s provenance as possibly related to the Nazi era. The heirs of Jules Strauss closely collaborated with the SKD to reconstruct the history and whereabouts of the painting since it left the possession of Jules Strauss.

The recent history of the painting began with the German Occupation of France in June 1940. Under pressure of falling victim to the German persecution of Jews in France, Jules Strauss was apparently forced to sell works of art from his collection, including the Largillière in 1941.

The German Reichsbank purchased the painting in 1941 in Paris by intermediary Margot Jansson. Stored in a vault of the Reichsbank in Berlin at the end of World War II, it subsequently passed into the administration of the GDR Ministry of Finance. From there, it was transferred to the National Gallery in Berlin in 1953, and finally to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in 1959.

As the “Portrait of a Lady as Pomona” had been sold under pressure of persecution, the SKD are restituting the work to the Strauss family in line with the 1998 Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art and the Statement by the Federal Government, the Länder and the National Associations of Local Authorities on the Tracing and Return of Nazi-Confiscated Art, especially Jewish Property, made in December 1999.

Marion Ackermann, Director General of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden: “The case of the Lady as Pomona shows yet again how important the kind of systematic provenance research is that has been carried out at the SKD for many years now. Research forms the basis for identifying objects with legally and morally questionable provenance. The trusting cooperation with the family, which enabled us to gain detailed knowledge about the provenance of the painting, proved to be particularly valuable. This is what enabled the painting to be identified as former property of Jules Strauss and paved the way for a fair and just solution to be found along with the former owners’ descendants.”

Pauline Baer de Perignon and Andrew Strauss, great-grandchildren of Jules Strauss: “After decades of not knowing the whereabouts of this painting, we thank the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden for their research and constructive dialogue with us, that allowed a fair solution. As descendants of Jules and Marie-Louise Strauss, we are very pleased to welcome our Largillière back to Paris and we would like to express our gratitude to all the staff of the SKD for their support in this endeavor. We extend our thanks to the French Embassy in Berlin and the CIVS for their cooperation.

We are particularly delighted since three living grandchildren of Jules Strauss will be able to see the Largillière once again, after some 80 years since they last saw it as children in their grandparents’ home in Paris.

It has been Jules Strauss’ passion for the arts, and his meticulous approach to documenting his collection, that served as our trusted guide throughout this journey in researching our family’s history.

We dedicate the return of the Largillière to the memory of Jules and Marie-Louise Strauss and to all those subjected to persecution. We sincerely hope this restitution may be seen as a symbol of justice, forgiveness and reconciliation.”