The suit was brought by the family of the Jewish art dealer who owned the works when they were taken by the Nazis. Marei von Saher, daughter-in-law of the wife of the art dealer, Desi Goudstikker, argued that the two life-size oil-on-oil paintings should be returned.
The Norton Museum insisted that it had acquired the works legally from the descendant of an aristocrat who had the paintings stolen by the Soviet Union in the 1920s. [...]
In his ruling, Walter said that by deciding not to seek restitution for the paintings, Goudstikker abandoned his family's claims to the works. The judge's decision is a departure from other rulings involving art looted by the Nazis, many of which have been returned to the descendants of those who had the art stolen.
