The Palace of Versailles has agreed to reexamine the provenance of a Jacques-Louis David sketchbook from 1790 after a Radio France investigation revealed it was looted by the Nazis during World War II. The sketchbook was stolen from Professor Lereboullet in July 1940, sold by Munich's Karl and Faber gallery in 1943, then acquired by dealer Otto Wertheimer before being purchased by Versailles in 1951. The museum claims it was unaware of the theft, and France's ministry of culture has promised further research and discussions with the descendants.
This case highlights the slow progress of provenance research in French museums, particularly for objects acquired after 1933. The sketchbook contains preparatory drawings for David's iconic "The Tennis Court Oath," making it a significant cultural artifact. The discovery underscores ongoing challenges in identifying and restituting Nazi-looted art, especially when institutional oversight fails to flag obvious red flags in an object's sales history.