A long lost painting looted decades ago in Nazi occupied Europe has been recovered in Argentina, officials have said.
Portrait of a Lady, by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi, had been missing for 80 years before it was spotted last month on an estate agent's website, where a photo showed it hanging in a house that had belonged to the daughter of a Nazi fugitive.
Patricia Kadgien's late father Friedrich had been a top adviser to Hermann Goring, Adolf Hitler's deputy, who plundered thousands of works from across Europe.
Prosecutors said the artwork had now been returned by the lawyer of Ms Kadgien, who was under house arrest after a search of her property initially failed to find the painting.
Ariel Bassano, an art expert who worked on the case, told reporters it was in good condition for its age, as it dates from 1710 and valued it at around $50,000, according to local reports.
The painting first spotted online, Portrait of a Lady, was among the collection of Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, much of which was forcibly sold by the Nazis after his death. It is listed on a database of art stolen by the Nazis.
Peter Schouten of the Dutch Algemeen Dagblad (AD) newspaper, which broke the initial story about the artwork's reappearance, noted that there was evidence the painting was removed shortly afterwards or after the media reports about it appeared.
The couple insists they are the rightful owners of the artwork, which they inherited, according to Argentina's La Nacion newspaper. Further investigations revealed additional pieces that may also be stolen from the war.
This recovery highlights the ongoing efforts to return art looted during war times to its rightful owners, with many families continuing to fight for their heritage and lost legacies.
