Museums & Institutions Jacques-Louis David Sketchbook at Versailles Linked to Wartime Theft The discovery adds to growing scrutiny of artworks acquired by French museums after 1933, many of which remain under-examined. Tennis Court Oath in Versailles by Jacques-Louis David. Photo: DeAgostini/Getty Images.
The Palace of Versailles has agreed to reexamine the origins of a prized Jacques-Louis David sketchbook after new research revealed evidence that the object was looted by the Nazis during World War II and improperly entered the French national collection. The museum purchased the notebook in 1951, unaware, it now says, of its wartime theft. The French media outlet Radio France launched its investigation into the sketchbook after being contacted by a descendant of the original owner. The broadcaster claims that it was able to pull together enough evidence to back the descendant’s claim in “just a few weeks.” The discovery sheds a light on the slow progress of ongoing provenance research into objects that were acquired by French museums after 1933. France’s ministry of culture issued a response to the evidence gathered by Radio France stating that neither the ministry nor the Palace of Versailles had not been aware that the item was stolen during the war. They promised ...
