Museum of Modern Art Returns Painting to Heirs of Man Who Fled Nazis

The Museum of Modern Art has made a decision to return Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s 1917-18 painting. The quest included archive detectives, location mix-ups, vintage postcards, and a coveted art collection torn apart by war. After the quest was finished, the museum decided to return an Ernst Ludwig Kirchner to heirs of the original owner, who was a Jew.

This painting by the German expressionist was one of the most important findings of the quest. The 1917-1918 canvas painting, titled Sand Hills, now belongs to the heirs of Max Fischer who was a Berlin writer. Fischer, a Jew, had to leave his art behind when he fled to the USA from Germany in late 1935.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a Bavarian-born Bohemian artist who died in 1938. Ernst was known for nudging European art toward abstraction by painting Berlin street scenes. His work has been constantly sought after and is quite often praised for those beautiful interpretations of street views and scenic beauty. He was also known for his signature style that featured jagged brush strokes and a vivid palette. He was never treated well by the Nazis, and his work was never appreciated, although he ultimately received a lot of posthumous accolades, awards, and appreciation. His work hangs in some of the biggest museums and is highly appreciated.

The Museum of Modern Art said they purchased Sand Hills from a New York gallery in 1949. The painting depicts a path zigzagging up golden hills to a black watchtower. The entire ambience seems covered in a raspberry sky in the painting.

The fact that the painting belonged to Max Fischer was discovered by the Museum of Modern Art after they sat down and began the quest to uncover the history of the painting. The museum was making a public database of works in its collection that had changed possession during the chaotic years before and during the World War II. This led to the discovery of the fact that the painting belonged to Mr. Fischer.

Mr. David Rowland, lawyer for Mr. Fischer’s heirs, said the family saw the listing. The family also disclosed the fact that Max Fischer talked about and discussed the artwork he used to own but had to leave behind in Berlin. He died in 1954.

Early in 1939, Mr. Fischer’s sister-in-law Anne Fischer wrote to a lawyer saying that Max had been moaning about his lost fortune and telling everybody how mercilessly the Nazis had robbed him. They not only took away his home and his profession, but also took from him some of his most valuable possessions.

The curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, Leah Dickerman, said that Mr. Rowland contacted the museum about the Kirchner in 2004. His claim was dismissed then, as the fact and information were misunderstood. Previous research conducted by the Museum of Modern Art said that the painting belonged to Berlin collector, Kurt Feldhäusser.

Four years ago, Mr. Rowland reached out to MoMA again. He then pointed out that Mr. Feldhäusser’s inventory records a painting titled Dunes at Fehmarn with Mr. Fischer listed as a prior owner. This was in sync with MOMA records. More extensive research also revealed that Sand Hills was bequeathed by Mr. Fischer’s parents to him. The family is glad to own the painting again, and they have yet to decide whether to sell it or keep it.