The Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich have returned a Nazi-looted painting from the late medieval period to its legal heirs. The 1480 work by an unknown artist had been in the collection of Munich art dealer A.S. Drey, who was Jewish, before it was sold off as a result of Nazi persecution.
The painting depicts the St. Florian of Lorch, a Roman officer who was martyred by drowning in the early 4th century. The painting, which was done on a wood panel, is part of an unknown altarpiece; its creator is also unknown, as most altarpieces from that era were unattributed, though it is believed to be created in a Bavarian workshop.
The painting was handed over to the heirs of Drey and his business partners, Ludwig and Friedrich Stern. It’s return marks the 21st restitution made by the Bavarian state collections in recent years
In a statement, Imke Gielen, a lawyer for the heirs, said, “On behalf of the Drey and Stern families we are grateful to the Bavarian State Painting Collections for carefully investigating the provenance of the painting and for establishing contact. The restitution is also the result of the continuous, systematic research carried out by the Bavarian State Painting Collections on their holdings.”