Lost and found

Hanging on the wall of an upper floor in Jerusalem's Israel Museum is a fine early 20th century painting of a wintry church scene by the French artist Maurice Utrillo. On its own it is an artwork more than worthy of a new exhibition, but what makes this piece and the many others on display so compelling are the dark stories of their provenance and the long and often fruitless search for the original Jewish owners of thousands of works of art confiscated at the height of the second world war. . .

The Utrillo is one of 53 such paintings in the Israel Museum's latest exhibition, Looking for Owners. Alongside it is a parallel exhibition, Orphaned Art, of looted works and Judaica which all lack clear ownership history and are now held at the museum.

Posted by David on March 21, 2008 8:38 PM