Tate Britain to Return Nazi-Looted Painting to Jewish Collector's Heirs

The UK government confirmed the restitution of Henry Gibbs' 1654 artwork to the descendants of Samuel Hartveld, marking a significant victory for Holocaust-era restitution efforts.

The painting, 'Aeneas and His Family Fleeing Burning Troy,' was looted from Jewish art collector Samuel Hartveld during the Nazi occupation of Belgium in 1940.
The Spoliation Advisory Panel determined the painting was taken as an act of racial persecution and recommended its return to Hartveld's heirs.
Tate Britain acquired the painting in 1994 but acknowledged gaps in its provenance research at the time of purchase.
The Sonia Klein Trust, representing Hartveld's descendants, filed a restitution claim in May 2024, leading to the UK government’s decision to return the artwork.
This marks the 14th restitution facilitated by the Spoliation Advisory Panel since its establishment in 2000, supported by the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009.