A
long-lost painting, "Portrait of a Lady," created by Vittore Ghislandi in 1743, has been discovered in an Argentine real estate ad. The portrait, which once belonged to Dutch-Jewish collector Jacques Goudstikker, was stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Art experts believe it is the authentic piece due to its dimensions and lack of incentive for forgery.

    Goudstikker's collection included over 800 pieces seized or bought under duress by the Nazis. While many were recovered in the early 2000s, "Portrait of a Lady" remained missing until now. The painting was spotted hanging over a sofa in a real estate listing posted by Robles Casas & Campos.

    An investigation into how it ended up at the Argentine house led to Friedrich Kadgien, a former top Nazi official who fled to Argentina after the war. His daughter owned the house advertised in the listing, but she claimed not to know what painting was being referred to. Marei von Saher, an heir of Goudstikker, plans to file a claim and launch a legal action to have the painting returned.

    Details of Goudstikker's collection were kept in a little black book he took with him on his journey to Britain in 1940. The booklet was discovered by his surviving wife and son, who made it safely to the United States. Researchers from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands also spotted another missing painting by Abraham Mignon on Kadgien's daughter's social media page, but its ownership has not been confirmed.