The heirs of Carl Adler and Rosie Jacobi want repatriation of the artist’s 1904 masterpiece The Ironing Woman. The work claims that a couple were forced to sell in 1938 while trying to escape Nazi persecution in their native Germany.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday, found that Adler acquired the artwork from Munich gallery owner Heinrich Thannhauser in 1916, but sold it to Thanhauser’s son Justin in 1938 for about $1,552. The lawsuit alleges that the desperate Adler suffered substantial losses due to family circumstances.
“Adler would not have disposed of the painting for the time and price he did, but because of the Nazi persecution he and his family suffered and will continue to suffer,” the complaint reads. It is written
In the lawsuit, relatives say Adler was chairman of the board of a major European leather manufacturer, but things changed when “the Nazi regime in Germany shattered their lives.”
In 1938, the family fled Germany, traveled through Holland, France, Switzerland, and settled in Argentina.
The Guggenheim Museum said it believed the lawsuit was “without merit.” credit: Brendan McDermid/Reuters
“The Adlers needed a lot of cash just to get a short-term visa while in exile in Europe. of cash had to be liquidated quickly, please collect as much cash as possible,” the lawsuit states.
Heirs claim that Thannhauser “profited” from the misfortunes of German Jews. They also argued that “Thonhouser was fully aware of the plight of Adler and his family, and that, had it not been for Nazi persecution, Adler would never have sold the painting at such a price.” There is
Rosi Adler died in Buenos Aires in 1946 at the age of 68, and her husband Karl died in 1957 at the age of 85 while visiting his hometown.
The Ironing Woman remained in Thanhouser’s art collection until her death in 1976. It was donated to the Guggenheim in 1978 along with the rest of his artwork.
Adler’s descendants allege that the painting is “illegally owned” by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, along with a number of nonprofits and Jewish organizations named as plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit.
The family is seeking the painting’s return or compensation equivalent to its current market value of $100 million to $200 million, according to the complaint.
The Guggenheim Museum told CNN it “takes provenance issues and restitution claims very seriously,” but believes the lawsuit “does not merit.”
“Carl Adler’s sale of the painting to Justin Thannhauser was a fair transaction between parties with a long and ongoing relationship,” the museum said.
“Since Guggenheim was first contacted by attorneys representing these petitioners, extensive research conducted by Guggenheim indicates that Guggenheim is the rightful owner of the painting.”
