A painting looted by the Nazis from a Jewish art dealer’s collection has been found in the home of a family descended from one of the Netherlands’ most infamous wartime collaborators, art detective Arthur Brand said. The work, “Portrait of a Young Girl” by Dutch artist Toon Kelder was once owned by Jacques Goudstikker who died fleeing the 1940 German invasion of the Netherlands, leaving more than 1,000 artworks behind.
Brand said the canvas had hung for years at the home of Hendrik Seyffardt’s relatives. Seyffardt commanded a Waffen-SS volunteer unit on the Eastern Front before resistance fighters killed him in 1943. Hitler sent a wreath to the state funeral held in The Hague.
A man who discovered he was a Seyffardt descendant brought the case to Brand after his grandmother told him the painting had been aquired during the war.
Grandmother admitted it was stolen, urged family silence
The family, which changed its surname after the war, admitted to having the painting but denied knowing its origins. The grandmother told reporters she received it from her mother and was unaware it belonged to Goudstikker’s heirs. The descendant felt ashamed and contacted Brand through an intermediary, hoping publicity would force a return, as reported by The Guardian.
Brand found a Goudstikker label on the back and the number 92 carved into the frame. Auction records from 1940, where much of the collection was sold, listed item 92 as “Portrait of a Young Girl” by Toon Kelder.
‘Portrait of a Young Girl’ by Toon Kelder has surfaced after 80 years. Seized by the Nazis in 1940, this masterpiece was found in the estate of a notorious Dutch SS General. Thanks to art detective Arthur Brand and a family member seeking justice. pic.twitter.com/IrMBM5bRzz
— newsofbahrain (@newsofbahrain) May 11, 2026
Brand believes Nazi official Hermann Goring plundered the collection when Goudstikker fled to Britain in 1940 and that Seyffardt acquired it at that auction. Lawyers for Goudstikker’s heirs confirmed he had owned six Kelder works, all sold there.
Legal options are limited. The statute of limitations has expired, leaving police unable to act. The Dutch Restitutions Committee, which advises on such claims, cannot compel private individuals to return the work.
A similar nazi-looted painting surfaced in Argentina
Brand said the family had years to return the painting and chose not to. He later confirmed it had been handed over to his team.
The case resembles a 2025 find in which a Goudstikker painting turned up in a property listing near Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a home once owned by a Nazi official who fled to South America. A police raid found the painting already removed.
Brand has also recovered looted art from the Louvre and the Dutch Royal Collection. He called this the strangest case of his career.
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