Portrait looted by Nazis found in home of Dutch SS leader's descendants

A painting, "Portrait of a Young Girl" by Toon Kelder, looted by Nazis from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during World War Two, has been discovered in the home of descendants of Dutch SS leader Hendrik Seyffardt. Art detective Arthur Brand was informed by a descendant who learned from his grandmother that the artwork was "Jewish looted art, stolen from Goudstikker" and deemed unsellable. Goudstikker died fleeing the Nazi invasion in 1940, leaving behind over 1,000 paintings. The family, who changed their name after the war, admitted possessing the painting but denied knowing its origin. Seyffardt commanded a Waffen-SS unit and was assassinated by resistance fighters in 1943.

A painting looted by Nazis from the Goudstikker collection, "Portrait of a Young Girl" by Toon Kelder, has been discovered in the home of descendants of Dutch SS leader Hendrik Seyffardt. Art detective Arthur Brand was informed by a relative of Seyffardt that the painting had hung in the family's home for decades. The relative, who wished to remain anonymous, felt ashamed and believed the artwork should be returned to the Goudstikker heirs. The family claims they were unaware the painting was looted, stating it was received from Seyffardt's mother. Brand's investigation confirmed the painting's provenance, finding a Goudstikker label and auction records linking it to a 1940 sale of the looted collection, likely acquired by Seyffardt at that time.