Argentinian authorities have stated they will continue searching for a valuable artwork stolen during the Nazi era after an inspection of a property in the coastal city of Mar del Plata did not yield the missing piece.
"The painting is not in the house... but we plan to keep looking for it," federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez told local reporters. Investigators confiscated several items, including two firearms, engravings, and prints, which might assist in the case.
According to sources cited by the Argentinian newspaper La Nación, the missing artwork—Portrait of a Lady by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi—was no longer displayed in the residence, despite appearing in a real estate listing.
Instead, a large tapestry depicting a landscape with horses hung in its place, with wall markings indicating it had recently replaced another piece. "Where we found the tapestry, there had been something else not long ago," an officer told the publication.
The painting originally belonged to Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam who died in May 1940 while escaping the Nazi invasion. His collection of over 1,100 works, many of them by old masters, was seized by Nazi official Hermann Göring for a fraction of its true worth.
Recent findings by the Dutch publication AD suggest the painting later came into the possession of Friedrich Kadgien, a high-ranking Nazi and former aide to Göring, though the details of its transfer remain unclear.
Kadgien took the artwork when he fled the Netherlands in 1946, eventually settling in Argentina after stays in Switzerland and Brazil. After his death in Buenos Aires in 1978, the painting is believed to have remained with his family.
Officials confirmed that Kadgien's daughter, who owns the Mar del Plata property, and her partner are under investigation following reports from federal police, Interpol, and Argentina’s customs authority, Arca.
The inquiry began after AD published articles revealing the possible whereabouts of the painting. The outlet stated it had repeatedly attempted to contact Kadgien’s daughters, who refused to discuss their father or the artwork.
A journalist later traveled to Argentina and found the property listed for sale, noticing the painting in a photograph on the real estate agency’s website.
AD noted that the listing had since been removed by the agency, Robles Casas & Campos, which confirmed the property was no longer available. Kadgien’s daughter also altered her social media username following the reports.
While La Nación reported no formal charges have been filed, authorities indicated that if the couple is found to have possessed the artwork, they could face legal consequences.
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