An 18th-century portrait that vanished during the Second World War has been retrieved by Argentine authorities after eagle-eyed observers noticed it in an online property advertisement.
The baroque painting by Giuseppe Ghislandi had been missing for more than eight decades following its theft from a Jewish art dealer in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
The artwork appeared in photographs advertising a villa in the coastal resort of Mar del Plata, approximately 240 miles from Buenos Aires.
Officers launched an investigation after the sighting was reported, though the painting had already been removed from the property when officers arrived to search the premises.
The stolen artwork, depicting Contessa Colleoni, formed part of a vast collection belonging to Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Dutch-Jewish art dealer whose gallery was ransacked by Nazi forces in May 1940.
Goudstikker himself died that same year.
Historical records from the Netherlands reveal the painting subsequently came into the possession of Friedrich Kadgien, a high-ranking Nazi financier and SS officer who served as an adviser to both Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring.
Following Germany's defeat, Kadgien fled to Argentina where numerous Nazi officials sought refuge from prosecution.
In a photograph of the woman's living room posted in a real estate advert, the Portrait of a Lady piece by Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi was seen hanging above a sofa | ROBLES CASAS & CAMPOSThe fugitive Nazi died in Buenos Aires in 1978, leaving behind family members including his daughter Patricia Kadgien, who owned the Mar del Plata property where the painting recently surfaced.
Law enforcement conducted searches at four separate locations in Mar del Plata on Tuesday, placing Patricia Kadgien and her partner under house arrest.
The couple face formal charges this Thursday, with prosecutors alleging they hindered efforts to locate the missing artwork.
Whilst the Ghislandi portrait wasn't discovered during the initial property search, investigators uncovered additional artworks at other sites connected to the family that may have been plundered during wartime.
The image is believed to be "Portrait of a Lady" by Italian baroque portraitist Giuseppe Ghislandi
|GETTY
The Mar del Plata Prosecutor's Office confirmed these findings could represent further Nazi loot.
The investigation forms part of broader efforts by Goudstikker's descendants to reclaim the more than 1,000 pieces stolen from the dealer's collection over 80 years ago.
The couple ultimately surrendered the painting to prosecutors through their legal representative on Wednesday, resolving the mystery surrounding its whereabouts.
A judicial official confirmed art specialists would take responsibility for safeguarding and preserving the recovered masterpiece.
Argentine Federal Police (PFA) stands outside the house
|GETTY
Patricia Kadgien and her husband remain confined to their home for 72 hours from Monday whilst authorities question them about allegedly obstructing the investigation.
Their legal team has not responded to requests for comment regarding the accusations.
The successful recovery marks a significant victory in the decades-long campaign to trace artworks plundered by the Nazi regime.
Dutch media outlet Algemeen Dagblad initially broke the story after recognising the painting in the property listing.
The Dutch media outlet identified the painting
|GETTY
Historian and genealogist Michala Hulme called the discovery "fascinating".
She told GB News: "We know that Hermann Göring himself was a collector of art.
"It's highly plausible that he has given a piece of art to one of his right hand men that has then been passed down to his his daughter.
"I think they have approached his this gentleman's daughter and her sister because I think another something else came out that her sister had this art and they have denied this"