Long-Lost Schiele Drawings Returned to Heirs of Jewish Cabaret Performer Killed by Nazis
Seven drawings by Austrian Expressionist painter Egon Schiele have been returned to the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum, a Jewish cabaret performer who was killed by the Nazis over 80 years ago. The works were transferred to Grünbaum’s relatives at a ceremony held at the Manhattan District Attorney‘s Office in New York City.
The drawings were seized and voluntarily returned by several institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in California, the Ronald S. Lauder Collection, and the Vally Sabarsky Trust.
The seven Schiele works include pieces such as Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, Edith, Girl Putting on Shoe, Standing Woman, Seated Woman, Self Portrait, I Love Anthesis, and Portrait of a Boy. These drawings range in value from $780,000 to $2.75 million.
Fritz Grünbaum, an Austrian cabaret artist, owned a vast art collection that included over 80 pieces by Schiele. However, in 1938, he was captured by the Nazis after Germany invaded Austria. Grünbaum’s wife, Elisabeth, was coerced to transfer power of attorney to the Nazis, and she was later forced to hand over her husband’s art collection.
The seven drawings ended up in Bern, Switzerland, in 1956 and were eventually purchased by a gallery owner in New York City. The works were then sold to various institutions and collectors before they were seized by authorities.
Grünbaum’s heirs have been seeking the return of these drawings through the courts for decades. It is a moment of closure and remembrance for Grünbaum’s memory as his descendants finally receive the artworks that meant so much to him.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed his hopes that this event would serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed by the Nazis and the ongoing impact on the families affected. He stressed the significance of recovering what was lost and honoring the victims through the return of these valuable works of art, which have deep historical and cultural value.
In addition to the seven drawings, three other pieces by Schiele were seized by U.S. investigators from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Ohio. These works were part of a civil lawsuit filed by Grünbaum’s descendants. The search warrants were issued by New York State’s Supreme Court, which determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that the pieces were stolen objects.
The institutions involved, such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Allen Memorial Art Museum, have defended their legal ownership of the art. They argue that the acquisitions were obtained lawfully and are confident in their possession. These cases remain under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The return of these long-lost Schiele drawings to the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum represents a significant step toward acknowledging and rectifying the injustices perpetrated during the Nazi regime. It serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of the Holocaust and the ongoing efforts to restore what was taken from countless victims and their families.
