The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent has refused to return Gaspar de Craye's Nazi-looted *Portrait of Bishop Triest* to the heirs of its original owner, Samuel Hartveld. An independent commission found the painting was sold under duress after the German occupation of Belgium in 1940, but concluded that Hartveld and his family were later financially compensated by the city, leading MSK to retain the work. Jewish groups EJA and JID are contesting the decision, arguing that international principles mandate restitution regardless of compensation.
The case highlights the ongoing tension between non-binding international guidelines like the Washington Principles and national legal frameworks in resolving Nazi-era restitution claims. While the commission recommended moral redress rather than return, the heirs' previous success in reclaiming another looted work from Tate Britain underscores the shifting landscape of provenance justice. The decision also fuels broader debate about whether financial compensation alone can satisfy the ethical imperative to return stolen cultural property.