The work of Marieschi “The Punta della Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore” arrives on the market after a long journey, which led to its return, made possible by theArt Recovery International, which involved the current owners and the heirs of the previous owners – the Graf family, who last saw the painting in 1938, before fleeing Nazi-occupied Austria. After more than 15 years of negotiations, the artwork will be auctioned off this summer with an estimate of between £500.000 and £700.000.
The Graph family
Originally purchased by Heinz and Anny Graf by 1937, the painting was on display in the family's apartment in Vienna, together with their small but highly refined collection. In March 1938, the life of the Grafs was turned upside down by the German annexation of Austria. Sacked and subjected to mounting tensions under the Nazis, Heinz and his young family were forced to flee: all of the Grafs' possessions were placed in storage, to be later recovered once the troubles were over. After paying the heavy "exit tax" demanded by the Germans, the Grafs stopped off in Italy, and then, several months later, in France, where they were joined by their respective grandmothers in Quillan, a small town in the foothills of the Pyrenees.
Following the outbreak of war in 1939, Heinz was confined to the infamous Camp Gurs in southwestern France – where Jews of non-French nationality were interned. Anny fought desperately for her husband's release (she was also interned for a short time). Only in the end were they able to obtain visas for the United States, except for one core member: Heinz was forced to leave his family and travel alone to Portugal. They reunited in Lisbon months later. Sailing together to the United States, they reached New York on May 26, 1941.
The Grafs settled in Queens where they were forced to completely rebuild their lives, with Heinz, now 'Henry', finding new employment as a financial adviser. They attempted to recover the goods they had stored but to no avail. Only later did they realize that their possessions, including Marieschi's painting and Umberto Veruda's portraits of Anny's parents, had been seized by the Nazi regime in 1940 and subsequently sold at auction. Despite years of searching, all efforts to locate their possessions failed. Henry and Annie died without ever seeing their paintings again.
Current owners
The exact location of the painting between 1940 and 1952 is not known. In 1952 it was bought by Edward Speelman, who received the work from Henry James Alfred Spiller (1890 – 1966), an auctioneer during World War II.
The current owner bought the masterpiece in 1953, unaware of its history, and has kept it for over 60 years. In 2015, the decision was made to contact the heirs of the Graf family to resolve all the issues before proceeding with a new auction.
Since the discovery of this painting almost 15 years ago – and almost 80 years after Henry and Anny Graf last saw it – a settlement between the Graf family heirs and the current owners has been successfully negotiated by Art Recovery International last December, scheduling the sale of this extraordinary work for this summer.
Description of the work
Painted between 1739 and 1740, Punta della Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore it is a view made several times by Marieschi. From an iconographic point of view the work is animated by a series of colored figures and gondolas in the foreground. Of considerable value above all for the wide panorama and the depth of the composition: undoubtedly one of the artist's most important works. Encouraged by the success of the great Venetian artist Canaletto in the genre of views, Marieschi adopted a very personal and instantly recognizable style, characterized by rapid brushstrokes, rich colors and light effects.
Richard Aronowitz, head of Sotheby's Returns Department, said: “Having followed the story and been personally involved in the discussions surrounding this wonderful canvas for more than a decade, I am delighted that its troubled history has been resolved through an agreement between the Graf heirs and current collectors and that the work will be offered as one of the most interesting pieces in Sotheby's summer auction. Restitution agreements are understandably always difficult to resolve, so it is always very rewarding when you are able to contribute to the success of such a complex case.".
Henry and Anny Graf's son-in-law, Stephen Tauber, commented with trepidation: "Michele Marieschi has created this magnificent vision of the Customs to give pleasure. We are sad that Heinz and Anny Graf enjoyed that privilege only a few months after purchasing the painting with such anticipation. We are happy, however, that after so many years our family members are finally able to recapture the framework".
Christopher Marinello, founder of Art Recovery International, added: “I congratulate the parties involved in this old dispute for reaching the amicable settlement. I strongly encourage collectors, dealers and institutions to bring suspected Nazi-looted works out of the shadows and arguably resolve these disputes without the need for costly and embarrassing litigation. However, leaving these problems to the next generation is never the answer ".
