4 valuable works of art rescued by Monuments Men

Before the USA enter the Second World War, a group of men and women art professionals and related organizations exposed to the US government the need to start a program to protect the works of art in the areas in conflict. From that primitive group arose the "Monuments Fine Arts and Archieve program" that were popularly known as the Monuments Men. In Supercurioso we talk about them and their general work in the post: The Monuments men and the Hitler museum . On this occasion we want to talk to you about 4 valuable works of art rescued by the Monuments Men and how they were stolen and where they were found .

4 Works of art rescued by Monuments Men

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1. "The astronomer" by Johannes Vermeer

The first of these 4 works of art rescued by Monuments Men It is the work of Johannes Vermeer. It was not in any museum, but in 1940 it was "expropriated" from the Parisian mansion of Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, a banker of Jewish origin, by the Nazi group known as "Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg für die Besetzten Gebiete", after the German invasion of France.

4 valuable works of art rescued by Monuments Men

He was sent to Hitler and hid like many other works of art in the Steinberg Salt Mine in Altausse. The monuments men found it there and it was returned to its rightful owner.

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Currently it can be seen in the Louvre Museum in Paris as it was donated to the French Government by its owner in exchange for the cancellation of taxes derived from an inheritance. On the back you can still see a small swastika stamped with black ink, a silent witness to the plunder suffered by the work.

2. Charlemagne's bust of the Aachen Cathedral

It was donated by the kings of France in 1349 to the Cathedral of Aachen in Germany. This magnificent bust of Charlemagne is believed to contain a piece of the emperor's skull.

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The church was badly damaged by the bombings during World War II. Before the end of the contest, he was rescued by the monuments men. Under enemy fire they arrived at the Cathedral and saved a lot of works from the treasure of Aachen that was hidden in a tunnel.

3. The Virgin of Bruges by Michelangelo

When the monuments men arrived in Bruges, a few days ago the Nazis had removed from the Cathedral of Notre Dame the marble statue of the "Virgin with the child" that weighed more than two tons. Although they did not arrive in time to prevent it from being stolen, they later located it in the Steinberg salt mine in Altaussee.

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The galleries of that mine, hid countless works of art stolen by all Europe and that had to comprise of the great museum that Hitler wanted to open in the city of Linz. Works of art rescued by the monuments men.

4. "Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani" or "Lady with an Ermine" by Leonardo da Vinci

When the Nazis occupied Poland in 1939 they took many works of art to Germany. Among them one of the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci : "Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani" or "Lady with an ermine". In 1940 at the request of Hans Frank the Governor General and Poland was returned to Krakow and hung in their offices.

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The monuments men, at the end of the war, found it in the country house that Frank had in Bavaria and they returned it to the Czartoryski Museum in Poland. Krakow .

Did you know these works of art rescued by the monuments men ? Do you know others? Share it with us! If you want to know other works that were removed from the Louvre so that they were not stolen or damaged during the world war, we invite you to read: 12 curiosities about the Venus de Milo | A mystery of classical culture Y 10 curiosities about the Victory of Samothrace .


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