Hamburg's auction house sold a sketch of Max Liebermann, who was in possession of the artist at the time of his death.

Etude Max Liebermann (Max Liebermann), depicting a swim boys went under the hammer for 4,500 euros (5,575 dollars) in Hamburg auction house Hauswedell & Nolte.

Two grand daughter of Max Lieberman argue that study, as well as several thousand works on paper, at one time was part of the meeting, which was stored in the name of the artist and at the time of the death of their great-grandfather belonged to him. Today heiress trying to find traces of this meeting and say that, in particular, study of boys bathing could be confiscated by the Nazis or sold under duress. Two days before the auction counsel heirs filed a protest against the sale of etudes to determine its provenance, but the work still came up for auction and was sold.

Impressionists Max Lieberman served as honorary president of the Prussian Academy of Arts. In 1933 the Nazis came to power forced him - a Jew, to leave his post, and two years later (in 1935), the artist has died, bequeathing all his work to his wife.

In the same year the widow of the artist March Lieberman (Martha Liebermann) and his personal biographer put a special stamp on all unsigned paintings, pastels and sketches of the estate of the artist. Subsequently, in March Lieberman was forced to leave their home and sell part of her art to be able to pay with taxes and pay for their treatment. In 1943, for fear of sending in a concentration camp, she committed suicide by taking a lethal dose of medication. Works of art that remained in her apartment, were confiscated.

Based on post-war laws of Germany, any sale of works of art after 1935, made by the representatives of the Jewish people could be forced, therefore, subject to restorative actions.

Nevertheless, the owner of the auction house Ernst Nolte (Ernst Nolte) finds heirs claim "totally baseless". According to him, the owner of the scene, put it up for auction, confirmed its rightful ownership. In this case the only thing reported Provenance Etude in catalog auction - this is its origin from a private collection in Hamburg. According Hauswedell & Nolte, have heiresses have no rights to assert that the study was kidnapped, because the real evidence the theft they are not. In addition, the laws of Germany, claim to the property have real force for thirty years after the theft. After this period, if the new owner can attest to the acquisition of an honest way, the previous owners did not have the legal right to reclaim their stolen property.

Counsel heiresses George Castell (Georg Castell) regrets that individuals may not require strict observance of the provisions of Washington. These provisions, signed by representatives of 44 States, were developed in 1998. They are not enforceable and are recommendatory in nature. Under these provisions, the public authorities undertake a thorough examination of provenance are in public collections of works with an unclear history of existence, to publish information about them and encourage the rightful owners to apply for them. In Terezin Declaration adopted at held in 2009 in Prague conference on restitution , representatives of 46 States have the moral duty of states and organizations to return to Holocaust victims of their property, as well as the need to provide them with material support.

Unfortunately, the contentious provenance is not always forcing the German auction houses to refrain from the inclusion of one or other things in the catalogs. In 2000, Cologne Kunsthaus Lempertz company sold its Italian Baroque painting period, the New York dealer Richard Feygenu (Richard Feigen). But last year the new owner discovered that this work was exhibited in 1937 at the auction, organized by the Nazis under duress. After that, Feige prefer to return the picture to the heirs of Max Stern (Max Stern), gallerist Jewish origin, who fled Germany before the war.

Castell lawyer announced his intention to register a sketch of Lieberman in the Lost Art Internet Database - the database of the Coordination Service for loss of cultural property, federal government and all federal states of Germany. In response, lawyers auction house informed the new owner of etudes that the introduction of a Lost Art Internet Database may entail losses. The question of compensation for those losses, according to lawyers, can be resolved in court, where the new owner has the right to seek redress.

names of previous and new owners were not disclosed sketch.

material prepared by Mary Onuchina, AI

Sources: bloomberg.com , artinvestment.ru