Kunsthaus Zürich reaches agreement with heirs of a Jewish collector
Published: Wednesday, Jun 19th 2024, 12:30
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The Kunsthaus Zürich is selling a painting by Claude Monet: it has reached an agreement with the heirs of a Jewish collector. The latter had had to turn the work into money during his escape from the Nazi regime, as the Kunsthaus announced on Wednesday.
The Jewish industrialist and art collector Carl Sachs had fled to Switzerland with his wife in 1939. A few weeks later, he sold Monet's "L'Homme à l'ombrelle" to the Kunsthaus. According to the report on the painting's provenance research, this was a predicament caused by persecution; "a short-term sale was necessary to secure the Sachs couple's livelihood".
Based on these facts and the historical situation, the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, as the sponsor and owner of the Kunsthaus Zürich collection, sought a dialog with the family of Carl Sachs, who died in 1943. A "fair and equitable solution" was found on June 5, according to the press release.
The Kunsthaus will now sell the painting, which was created in 1865/1867. According to the amicable agreement, the Kunsthaus will also receive a share of the proceeds. This will flow into the collection fund in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the International Council of Museums.
He regrets that "the wonderful painting" will probably leave the Kunsthaus after the sale, Kunstgesellschaftspräsident Philipp Hildebrand is quoted as saying in the press release. However, this step shows that the provenance strategy presented in 2023 is being implemented seriously. The Kunsthaus deals transparently with works where there are indications of Nazi-related persecution.
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