Painting Stolen by Nazis Found in Canajoharie
Whenever we see strange recovery stories, it's never something that's happened here - until someone found a painting stolen by Nazis in Canajoharie.
A painting stolen in 1933 by Nazis was just confiscated in Canajoharie by the FBI, according to the Times Union. The recovery of this piece was because of an investigation in Germany to recover stolen artwork that was lost after the Nazis took power.
The painting "Winter," by American artist Gari Melchers, was first acquired by Great Berlin Art Exhibition in 1900 by Rudolf Mosse. Mosse was the founder of a company that created quite a few periodicals that published things against Hitler and the Nazi party. After Mosse passed away, Hitler seized the company because of that and their Jewish heritage.
Mosse's family had to flee Germany, leaving their extensive art collection behind. According to historical documents, "The Nazis commissioned Karl Haberstock of the Rudolf Lepke auction house, to liquidate the Mosse family's art collection."
In May 1934, an unknown person purchased the piece and five months later, it ended up at MacBeth Art Gallery in New York City. Eventually, Bartlett Arkell, who was co-founder and president of the Beechnut Packing Co. in Canajoharie purchased the painting from the art gallery.
The painting was seized on September 10th from the Arkell museum. "Charles J. Tallent, a trustee for the museum, signed a document along with Friedlander waiving any right to the artwork." The painting will be returned to the Mosse family.