Egon Schiele artworks returned to Holocaust victim’s heirs up for auction

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Two works by Egon Schiele were recently returned to the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum, an Austrian Jewish cabaret performer whose art collection was seized by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. The restitution ceremony took place in New York, with the artworks being consigned to Christie’s. The two pieces, “Portrait of a Man” and “Girl With Black Hair,” were previously held in museums before being returned to the heirs. The District Attorney’s office valued the artworks at $1.5m and $1m, respectively. The artworks were part of Grünbaum’s collection of over 400 works, including 81 by Schiele. The collection was seized by the Nazis in 1938, and much of Schiele’s work was sold abroad as part of the Nazi Party’s campaign against Modern art. The heirs of Grünbaum have been successful in reclaiming other works by Schiele through legal battles. The proceeds from the recent sales of restituted Schiele works have been used to support musicians from underrepresented communities through the Grünbaum Fischer Foundation.

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