The foundation overseeing the Bührle collection has reached a settlement with the heirs of Jewish collector Max Silberberg, allowing Édouard Manet's painting 'La Sultane' (c. 1871) to remain on display at the Kunsthaus Zurich. The painting was purchased in 1953 by Emil Bührle, a Swiss arms dealer who sold to both Allies and Nazis during WWII and benefited from slave labor. Silberberg, forced to sell his villa to the SS in 1935 and later deported to Auschwitz, had consigned the work in 1932, but his heirs argue the 1937 sale to dealer Paul Rosenberg was a consequence of Nazi persecution. The settlement terms are confidential.
This case highlights ongoing struggles over Nazi-looted art restitution, particularly regarding the Bührle collection, which has faced intense scrutiny since its 2021 display at the Kunsthaus. An independent report led by Raphael Gross found the foundation's provenance research inadequate and its published accounts omitted many Jewish former owners. The foundation plans to seek settlements for five other Impressionist works removed from display, underscoring the broader challenge of addressing historical injustices in major museum collections and the ethical responsibilities of institutions hosting such loans.