Descrição
«On June 22, 1940, France fell to the Germans. On June 30, 1940, Hitler sent out an order demanding “the placing in security of all objects of art, whether they belong to France, to private owners, or to Jews.” For the next: four years Nazi leaders schemed, squabbled, and defied each other ir a sordid, stubborn struggle for the possession of French art.
The curators of the Louvre had been prepared for the edict. They knew of the Nazis’ obsession with art, not orily in amassing works they admired but also in their campaign of vilification of modern art, of “un-German” art—i.e., art that did not reflect the ideals of the Third Reich. Museum officials had made elaborately detailed plans in advance to save France’s artistic heritage from falling into German hands. At war’s outbreak truck convoys began making their way by night on quiet roads carrying such fragile masterpieces as “Winged Victory,” “Venus de Milo, ,” and the “Mona Lisa” to the security of châteaux across the country
—and later moving them again as the Occupation spread. It was a monumental undertaking, but not all the valuable and important works could be removed from Paris and other occupied territory; and the Germans “requisitioned,” plundered, and stole French art-from galleries, museums, and famous private collections. Jewish-owned art was seized immediately under Hitler’s order, and priceless paintings were stolen from Baron Edouard de Rothschild and from the Seligmann, Wildenstein, and other collections in police raids. A German task force, set up to photograph and catalog works being sent to Germany, became also the private hunting preserve of that passionate collector, Hermann Göring. The full, dramatic story of this intrigue and maneuvering, of heroism on the part of the many people dedicated to protecting the art treasures from war and from rapacity, and of the Nazi’s obsessive pursuit of these treasures during World War Il has never been told before – it is the remarkable story of one of the most important events in the history of the art world. Photograph by Martin Kobl . Matila imon is a former European director of the International Print Exchanges, a former consultant for art exhibitions in Europe, and was part owner of an art gallery in France. She is the author of the Shorewood Art Reference Guide and the translator of numerous French works into English.
Mrs. Simon had access to previously classified documents in the course of her research for The Battle of The Louvre; she also interviewed Americans, Frenchmen, and Germans who were actively involved in the events described». Ilustrado com fotografias a preto e branco. Sobrecapa editorial da autoria de Judith Lerner.
