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Pissarro Painting and a Family's Holocaust Story
The story of Camille Pissarro's painting, "Liggend meisje in het gras", and its connection to the tragic fate of a Jewish family during WWII is highlighted by a recent museum exhibit and book.
Dutch
Netherlands
Human Rights ViolationsWarHistoryFamilyRefugees And MigrationArtHolocaust
Van Gogh MuseumKunsthalle BremenStichting Nederlands Kunstbezit (Snk)Auschwitz
Camille PissarroJaap Van Den BerghEllen Van Den BerghRosemarie Van Den BerghMarianne Van Den BerghSuzan Van Den BerghRudi EkkartHugo Oelze
- What circumstances led to the sale of the painting by the original owners?
- In 1943, Jaap and Ellen van den Bergh were forced to sell Pissarro's painting to support their two daughters in a children's home. Their daughters, Rosemarie and Marianne, were later betrayed and murdered in Auschwitz. Jaap and Ellen survived the war but were deeply affected by the loss.
- What discovery prompted the investigation into the painting's post-war history?
- The discovery of Jaap van den Bergh's 1945 report of the forced sale in 2016, due to digitalization of the SNK archives, was crucial. This report, initially overlooked due to the SNK's restrictive restitution policy, triggered investigation of the painting's history.
- What artwork is the subject of the news article and where is it currently displayed?
- Camille Pissarro's Impressionist painting, "Liggend meisje in het gras" (1882), is on display at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum. The exhibition coincides with the release of the book "Meisje in het gras", which details the story of the painting's Jewish owners, Jaap and Ellen van den Bergh, and their tragic loss during the Holocaust.
- How did Suzan van den Bergh seek to obtain restitution for the loss of her family's painting?
- The book "Meisje in het gras" is a form of restitution, initiated by Suzan van den Bergh, the youngest sister who never knew Rosemarie and Marianne. She chose storytelling as compensation, rather than legal action to reclaim the painting.
- What was the final resting place of the painting before its temporary display at the Van Gogh Museum?
- The painting's journey after the war is detailed through its sale to Dirk Lijnzaad and then to Dr. Hugo Oelze, who bequeathed it to Kunsthalle Bremen upon his death. The Kunsthalle's attempts to trace the artwork's provenance were unsuccessful until the recent discovery of the 1945 report.