Portrait of Greta Moll is a painting by Henri Matisse from 1908. It is part of the National Gallery collection in London.[1]
| Portrait of Greta Moll | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Henri Matisse  |
| Year | 1908 |
| Medium | oil paint, canvas |
| Dimensions | 93 cm (37 in) × 73.5 cm (28.9 in) |
| Location | National Gallery |
| Identifiers | Art UK artwork ID: portrait-of-greta-moll-115021 |
Margarete Moll known as Greta was a German artist and a student of Matisse.[2]
In the early 21st century the ownership of the painting was disputed. Purchased by National Gallery in 1979, the decedents of Oskar and Greta claimed the portrait, originally in the collection of Oskar Moll, was secreted in Switzerland after World War II to keep it safe from looters. The family stated in a lawsuit filed in 2015, that the painting was stolen in 1947, and under international agreement of war-related lost property the painting should be returned to the family.[3][2] In 2014 the Spoliation Advisory Panel declined to hear the case as the painting was not stolen on or before 1945.[4] The family then tried to file suit in New York. The court refused to hear the case claiming that court did not have jurisdiction. In 2018 the federal appeals court in New York declined to hear the case.[5] In 2019 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the case.[6]
The National Gallery, London has legal ownership and maintains possession.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Henri Matisse | Portrait of Greta Moll | NG6450". National Gallery, London. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ a b "London National Gallery Sued Over Stolen Matisse Painting". Financial Tribune. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Lin, Amy. "Painting of Greta Moll by Henri Matisse was Stolen from the Original Owner? | Widewalls". Widewalls. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Deslauriers, Hélène (16 January 2018). "The portrait of Greta Moll, the National Gallery and 'quintessentially' British statements". The Institute of Art & Law. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Court rejects claim to Matisse owned by National Gallery". The Art Newspaper – International art news and events. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Kenney, Nancy (19 March 2019). "US Supreme Court declines to review a challenge to the National Gallery's ownership of a Matisse". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
Further reading
edit- "Portrait of Greta Moll," by Henri Matisse essay by Marc Masurovsky