10 July 2011

Exhibit of works of art that are not works of art

Please refer to the 10 July 2011 post entitled “A work of art is not a work of art”

Here are some of the 29 works of art which were ruled unfit by the French government restitution commission (CRA) to be considered as works of art. They were handed over to the OBIP in mid-1947.  None of the owners could be identified since the works were seized during M-Aktion by units linked to the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) in the Paris region.

One can only assume that the esthetic judgment of the CRA was critical in making the final decision to exclude these works from the broad category of “work of art.”

You be the judge…

Maurice Wagemans, "Port de pêche"
Source: ERR Project via Bundesarchiv

Paul Désiré Trouillebert, "Paysage"
Source: ERR Project via Bundesarchive
France, 19ème siècle, “Fleurs”
Source: ERR Project via Bundesarchiv
Jacques de La Joue, "La Botanique"
Source: ERR Project via Bundesarchiv
B. Genzmer, "Fonctionnaire à la porte d’une maison"
Source: ERR Project via Bundesarchiv