Philippe Maestracci

Philippe Maestracci is the grandson and legal heir of Oscar Stettiner, a British Jewish art dealer who was arrested in 1943. Stettiner owned a Modigliani painting, "l’Homme assis appuyé sur une canne" (El hombre sentado con bastón), which was confiscated by the Nazis during their occupation of France. Maestracci is newsworthy because he has been involved in a long legal battle to reclaim the painting. Recently, the Supreme Court of New York ruled in favor of Maestracci, ordering the restitution of the Modigliani painting to him. This decision marks a significant victory in the ongoing efforts to recover art stolen by the Nazis and return it to its rightful owners, highlighting the importance of provenance research and the pursuit of justice for victims of Nazi persecution.