Matteo Cesa

Two 15th Century panels on wood attributed to Matteo Cesa

Our restitution work has become so well known that we are often contacted by art dealers who are faced with potential Nazi-looted art claims.  We actually appreciate this type of work because it shows that some members of the trade are looking to perform proper provenance research and are willing to do the right thing should an issue should arise.

At ARI, it is our policy to uncover the truth no matter how painful that may be for our clients and then work out an effective compromise based on our findings. These late gothic paintings were exhibited at TEFAF and later consigned for sale at auction. ARI’s provenance researchers successfully cleared the paintings from a potential Nazi-looted art claim by locating the artworks in a 1959 inventory controlled by the heirs of the claimants. No formal claim was submitted, and the sale was able to proceed.