Centre du droit de l'art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr
Sabre de El Hadj Omar Tall – France et Sénégal
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/sabre-de-el-hadj-omar-tall-2013-france-et-senegal
Le sabre avec fourreau, attribué à El Hadj Omar Tall, pris dans des circonstances encore obscures, a été conservé en France à la suite de la conquête de l’Empire Toucouleur, puis prêté à deux reprises au Sénégal avant d’être définitivement restitué par la France, en 2021, par le vote d’une loi de restitution issue d’une initiative politique française.No publisherDeaccessionAntiquity/antiquitésSénégalSymbolic gesture/geste symboliqueUnconstrained initiative/initiative spontanéeFranceColonialism/colonialismeProcedural issue/limites procéduralesCultural cooperation/coopération culturelleUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionOwnership/propriétéInalienability/inaliénabilité2022/02/22 11:00:00 GMT+1PageTrésor de Béhanzin – France et Bénin
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/tresor-de-behanzin-2013-france-et-benin
En 1892, les militaires français pillent le palais de Béhanzin à Abomey afin d’asseoir le pouvoir colonialiste de la France dans la région du Bénin. Plus d’un siècle après, le Parlement français vote, par une loi de restitution dite spontanée, issue d’un projet de loi du gouvernement, la restitution de ce trésor à son pays d’origine. No publisherDeaccessionAntiquity/antiquitésSymbolic gesture/geste symboliqueUnconstrained initiative/initiative spontanéeFranceColonialism/colonialismeProcedural issue/limites procéduralesNegotiation/négociationCultural cooperation/coopération culturelleUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionOwnership/propriétéInalienability/inaliénabilitéBénin2022/02/14 16:55:00 GMT+1PageDeux tableaux de Toulouse-Lautrec – Koerfer c. Goldschmidt
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/deux-tableaux-de-toulouse-lautrec-2013-koerfer-c-goldschmidt-1
En 1940, Jakob Goldschmidt, banquier juif et grand collectionneur d’art se voit retirer la nationalité allemande par le régime nazi qui s’approprie, par la suite, son patrimoine. Deux de ses tableaux du peintre Toulouse-Lautrec sont alors vendus aux enchères publiques et acquises par Jakob Koerfer qui en fait cadeau à sa femme, résidant en Suisse. Au décès de cette dernière, les tableaux sont dévolus aux enfants du couple. En 1956, Alfred Erwin Goldschmidt ouvre contre Jakob Koerfer et ses enfants une action en restitution des tableaux litigieux. Sa demande est rejetée en dernière instance par le Tribunal fédéral selon lequel les héritiers Koerfer sont, d’après le droit suisse, valablement devenus propriétaires des tableaux litigieux.
No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRequest denied/rejet de la demandeArtwork/oeuvre d’artSwitzerland/SuisseGermany/AllemagneJakob KoerferJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJakob GoldschmidChoice of law/droit applicableNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriété2022/01/25 19:30:59 GMT+1PageBuddhist Paintings – Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/buddhist-paintings-2013-lacma-and-jogye-order
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) bought four Buddhist paintings in 1998. These paintings were featured in frequent exhibitions of LACMA’s Korean art galleries until the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism notified LACMA that the paintings were stolen. After amicable negotiation, these paintings were returned to the Jogye Order in August 2020.No publisherDeaccessionSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelArtwork/oeuvre d’artLos Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)Due diligenceJogye Order of Korean BuddhismSpoils of war/butins de guerreProcedural issue/limites procéduralesNegotiation/négociationCultural cooperation/coopération culturelleUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionOwnership/propriétéLoan/prêt2020/12/14 17:15:00 GMT+1PageTwo Lithographs of the Glaser Collection – Glaser Heirs and Kunstmuseum Basel
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/two-lithographs-of-the-glaser-collection-2013-glaser-heirs-and-kunstmuseum-basel
In 1933, the Kunstmuseum Basel purchased about 200 drawings and prints at the Max Perl auction in Berlin. These works belonged to Curt Glaser, a Jewish art collector and director of the Art Library in Berlin. In 2004, the Glaser heirs requested the Kunstmuseum to return two artworks by Edvard Munch, but the Museum refused. Following negociations, the Kunstmuseum Basel and the heirs of Curt Glaser reached a seemingly “just and fair solution”.No publisherStatute of limitation/prescriptionOwnership/propriétéArtwork/oeuvre d’artFinancial compensation/indemnisationCanton of Basel-CityNegotiation/négociationRequest denied/rejet de la demandeNazi looted art/spoliations naziesDue diligenceMediation/médiationCurt GlaserConciliationSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelProcedural issue/limites procéduralesKunstmuseum Basel2020/10/02 09:10:00 GMT+1PageThe Actor – Leffmann Heir v. Metropolitan Museum of Art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/the-actor-2013-leffmann-heir-v-metropolitan-museum-of-art
Before the Second World War, Paul and Alice Leffmann, a couple of German Jews, fled Germany to Italy and then to Brazil. To be able to leave Europe, they sold the painting “The Actor” by Picasso to three art dealers for a fraction of its market value. In 1939, one of the dealers sold the painting to Thelma Foy. Several years later, Thelma Foy donated the painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) of New York. In the 2010s, the great-grandniece of Paul and Alice Leffmanns sued the MET to retrieve the painting.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeOwnership/propriétéOngoing dispute/litige en coursMetropolitan Museum of ArtArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justicePaul and Alice LeffmannNazi looted art/spoliations naziesDue diligenceStatute of limitation/prescriptionProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJudicial decision/décision judiciaire2020/02/05 12:55:00 GMT+1PageTwo Schiele Paintings – Grunbaum Heirs v. Richard Nagy
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/two-schiele-paintings-2013-grunbaum-heirs-v-richard-nagy
In 1938, the Nazis expropriated the art collection of Fritz Grunbaum while he was detained in Dachau concentration camp. In 2016, the Grunbaum heirs filed suit against Richard Nagy, the art dealer in possession of two of the paintings by Schiele that formed part of Fritz Grunbaum’s collection (“Woman in a Black Pinafore” and “Woman Hiding Her Face”). Eventually, the New York’s Supreme Court directed Nagy to return the artworks to the Grunbaum heirs.No publisherUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRichard NagyArtwork/oeuvre d’artDue diligenceJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesFritz and Elizabeth GrunbaumStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriété2019/11/29 15:30:00 GMT+1PageBalangiga Bells – Philippines and United States
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/balangiga-bells-2013-philippines-and-united-states
The Balangiga Bells were removed in 1901 from the parish church of San Lorenzo de Martir in Balangiga, Eastern Samar, in the Philippines, by soldiers of the United States Armed Forces. The three bells returned to the Philippines in 2018 following the amendment of the law of the United States that originally prevented their return.No publisherOwnership/propriétéPhilippinesConditional restitution/restitution sous conditionDiplomatic channel/voie diplomatiqueState responsibility/responsabilité internationale des EtatsUnited States/États-UnisAntiquity/antiquitésProcedural issue/limites procéduralesSpoils of war/butins de guerre2019/11/11 15:25:00 GMT+1PageAncient Coins – Ancient Coin Collectors Guild v. United States
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/case-ancient-coins-2013-ancient-coin-collectors-guild-v-united-states
In an attempt to challenge import regulations in force in the United States (US), the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) imported into the US 23 ancient coins, which were seized by customs officials. The case was litigated from 2007 to 2019, with courts consistently deciding in favour of the US Government and the import restrictions remaining in place.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeIllicit exportation/exportation illiciteJudicial decision/décision judiciaireJudicial claim/action en justiceUnited States/États-UnisArchaeological object/objet archéologiqueIllicit importation/importation illiciteAncient Coin Collectors GuildIllicit excavation/fouille illiciteProcedural issue/limites procéduralesPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 19702019/10/14 09:40:00 GMT+1PageDie Grosse Seestrasse in Wannsee – X. v. Switzerland
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/die-grosse-seestrasse-in-wannsee-2013-x-v-switzerland
The painting “Die Grosse Seestrasse in Wannsee” was bought in 1948 by François de Diesbach. After de Diesbach’s death, the painting was forgotten within the Swiss embassy. When the Swiss embassy decided to donate the painting to the Liebermann Villa, a distant relative of de Diesbach seized a Swiss court and claimed ownership over the painting. The High Court of the Canton of Bern ultimately held that the Swiss Confederation had acquired ownership over the painting.No publisherOwnership/propriétéLoan/prêtJudicial decision/décision judiciaireArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justiceNegotiation/négociationSwitzerland/SuisseLiebermann VillaNazi looted art/spoliations naziesPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970DonationChoice of law/droit applicableState immunity/immunité des EtatsProcedural issue/limites procéduralesConditional restitution/restitution sous condition2019/10/01 15:30:00 GMT+1PagePulcinell Sculpture – Budge Heirs v. Anonymous Purchaser
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/pulcinell-sculpture-2013-budge-heirs-v-anonymous-purchaser
A sculpture of Pulcinell was purchased by an anonymous buyer at auction in London in 2016. The buyer applied for an export license and the case came before the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest of the United Kingdom. During the review, it was discovered that the sculpture had been subject to forced sale by Nazis in 1937. The heirs of Emma Budge, the dispossessed owner of the sculpture, discovering what had become of the sculpture, attempted to secure its restitution.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelArtwork/oeuvre d’artOwnership/propriétéUnited Kingdom/Royaume-UniBudge HeirsConciliationNazi looted art/spoliations naziesProcedural issue/limites procédurales2019/08/13 11:55:00 GMT+1PagePortrait of Greta Moll – Moll Heirs v. National Gallery of London
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/portrait-of-greta-moll-2013-moll-heirs-v-national-gallery-of-london
The “Portrait of Greta Moll” has been subject to a claim for return. The heirs of the painting’s subject argued the painting was stolen in the aftermath of the Second World War and claimed that the National Gallery of London did not purchase the work in good faith. The case has been heard in two courts of the United States.No publisherPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970National Gallery, LondonDeaccessionProcedural issue/limites procéduralesMargrete MollRequest denied/rejet de la demandeCriminal offence/infraction pénaleDue diligenceStatute of limitation/prescriptionOwnership/propriétéUnited Kingdom/Royaume-UniState immunity/immunité des EtatsJudicial claim/action en justiceJurisdiction/conflit de jurisdictionArtwork/oeuvre d’artConciliationNazi looted art/spoliations naziesJudicial decision/décision judiciaireThe American Friends of the National GalleryOskar Moll2019/08/12 14:20:00 GMT+1PageBiccherna Panel – Anonymous Heirs and British Library
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/biccherna-panel-2013-anonymous-heirs-and-british-library
In 2013, the British Library was contacted by the heirs of A.S. Drey, a Munich firm whose assets were sold off by Nazis in 1936. The heirs requested the return of the “Biccherna Panel” and lodged a claim with the UK Spoliation Advisory Panel, which found in favour of the claimants. However, following negotiations, the heirs accepted compensation in lieu of return, allowing the Biccherna Panel to remain in the British Library.No publisherNazi looted art/spoliations naziesNegotiation/négociationDeaccessionFinancial compensation/indemnisationArtwork/oeuvre d’artSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelProcedural issue/limites procéduralesBritish LibraryOwnership/propriétéUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionConciliationUnited Kingdom/Royaume-UniSpoliation Advisory Panel (UK)2019/08/12 10:50:00 GMT+1PageLa cueillette de Pissarro – Héritiers Simon Bauer c. Bruce et Robbi Toll
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/la-cueillette-de-pissarro-2013-heritiers-simon-bauer-c-bruce-et-robbi-toll
Les héritiers de Simon Bauer, juif déporté dont la collection avait été confisquée sous le régime nazi, profitent de la présence du tableau de Pissarro « La cueillette » en France dans le cadre d’une exposition pour en demander la restitution. Le Tribunal de grande instance de Paris ordonne la restitution de la toile le 7 novembre 2017. La Cour d’appel a confirmé cette décision le 2 octobre 2018.No publisherUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionJudicial decision/décision judiciaireArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJurisdiction/conflit de jurisdictionStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéSimon Bauer2019/04/03 17:10:00 GMT+1PageThe Windmill – Rüdenberg Heirs v. City of Hannover
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/the-windmill-2013-rudenberg-heirs-v-city-of-hannover
Max Rüdenberg, a Jewish salesman and art collector, acquired several modern art pieces beginning in the late 1910s. Due to the discriminatory Nazi politics, the Rüdenberg family was forced to sell the art collection, including the painting “The Windmill” by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.No publisherOwnership/propriétéArtwork/oeuvre d’artInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelMax RüdenbergMediation/médiationProcedural issue/limites procéduralesNegotiation/négociationUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesCity of HannoverSettlement agreement/accord transactionnel2018/05/16 11:15:00 GMT+1Page