Swiss Museum Reviews Art Origins Amid New Nazi Confiscation Guidelines

A Swiss museum removed five valuable paintings, including works by van Gogh and Monet, to reevaluate their provenance under new US guidelines on Nazi-confiscated art. The E G Buhrle Collection aims for fair resolutions with former owners' heirs, including possible compensation linked to a confiscated Manet painting.

A Swiss museum on Thursday pulled down five paintings, including a van Gogh and a Monet, after the foundation that owns them called for a deeper look at their origins following new US guidelines on handling artworks once confiscated by the Nazis.

The Foundation E G Buhrle Collection, responsible for the pieces showcased at the Kunsthaus Zürich museum, aims to reach a 'fair and equitable solution' with the legal successors of the former owners, who remain unnamed.

This decision follows the foundation's board push for a reevaluation based on the new 'best practices' from the US State Department issued in March, an enhancement of guidelines originally adopted in 1998.

The targeted works include Claude Monet's 1895 oil painting 'Jardin de Monet à Giverny' and Vincent van Gogh's 1884 piece 'Der alte Turm'.

Additionally, Edouard Manet's 'La Sultane' has been identified as 'a case deserving particular attention.' The foundation expressed willingness to contribute financially to the estate of Max Silberberg, a German Jewish art collector and Auschwitz victim, in respect to his 'tragic destiny.'

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)