Is there Nazi-looted art at the Winnipeg Art Gallery?
Art gallery part of national effort to return artwork looted during the Holocaust
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is studying about a dozen of its paintings to determine if they were looted by Nazis during the Holocaust.
The art gallery is one of many in Canada who are searching for artwork that was stolen or forced sold during the Second World War.
Six galleries in total are working with two international researchers to determine if any of the works in their collections are Nazi-looted paintings.
WAG CEO Stephen Borys said about a dozen paintings in their local collection will be studied.
“If we knew a painting in our collection was in so-and-so’s collection up until 1941 and then all of a sudden it was no longer in that collection and then it appeared in 1975 in another collection, it would be a candidate,” said Borys.
He said any of the paintings being reviewed could be returned to their owners.
“The goal of this whole project is to return artwork to the rightful owners,” said Borys.
He added he hopes the project will highlight the need for all galleries to return artwork to rightful owners.