Goudstikker Painting Resurfaces With Seyffardt Heirs as Family Member Pushes Return of 1 Looted Work
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · May 11
Goudstikker Painting Resurfaces With Seyffardt Heirs as Family Member Pushes Return of 1 Looted Work
17 articles · Updated · DW (English) · May 11
Portrait of a Young Girl by Toon Kelder has been identified in the hands of descendants of Dutch Nazi collaborator Hendrik Seyffardt, with Goudstikker heirs' lawyers confirming it was stolen.
A Seyffardt family member brought the case to light after discovering both the family's link to the Waffen-SS figure and evidence that the painting came from Jacques Goudstikker's looted collection.
Arthur Brand traced the work through a Goudstikker label and a 1940 auction catalog number, saying the family had displayed it in a private Dutch home for decades.
Current holders deny knowing it was looted, but Dutch authorities have little leverage because legal deadlines have expired and restitution bodies cannot force private owners to return such art.
The case revives one piece of Goudstikker's still-unresolved wartime losses: more than 1,200 artworks were taken, making it the Netherlands' largest claim for missing Nazi-looted art.
How did a Nazi collaborator's family hide a famous looted painting in plain sight for decades?
With US laws empowering heirs, will Europe's legal loopholes for Nazi-looted art finally close?
650,000 Stolen Works: The Toon Kelder Recovery and the Global Struggle to Return Nazi-Looted Art
Overview
On May 11, 2026, the art world was electrified by the recovery of 'Portrait of a Young Girl' by Toon Kelder, a Nazi-looted painting from the Goudstikker collection. The artwork was found with the descendants of Hendrik Seyffardt, a notorious Dutch Waffen-SS general. Renowned art sleuth Arthur Brand led the recovery, describing it as the most significant achievement of his career due to its deep historical and emotional impact. While the painting’s provenance has been confirmed, details about how it was found and the heirs’ motivations remain undisclosed, with attention focused on the successful return of this important cultural treasure.