A Manhattan judge has blocked London-based art dealer Richard Nagy from selling or transporting two watercolors by Egon Schiele, which were on display at his booth during the Salon of Art + Design fair at the Park Avenue Armory. The works—Woman in a Black Pinafore and Woman Hiding Her Face—are claimed by the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum, a Jewish Holocaust victim and cabaret performer who died at Dachau. The heirs, Timothy Reif and David Fraenkel, filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleging the paintings were among 400 artworks surrendered to the Nazis by Grünbaum's wife. Nagy disputes the claim, arguing the works were sold legally by Grünbaum's sister-in-law in 1956 and that previous arbitration boards found no evidence of Nazi looting.
This case underscores the ongoing legal and ethical battles over Nazi-looted art, a deeply contentious issue in the art world. It follows the recent return of an Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painting by MoMA to the heirs of a Jewish collector, highlighting a broader push for restitution. The outcome could set a precedent for how courts handle claims against dealers who acquired works decades after the Holocaust, especially when earlier rulings have favored the current holders. A hearing is scheduled for December 1 in Manhattan.