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The Missing Rubens Oil Sketches
Explore the intriguing mystery of The Missing Rubens Oil Sketches in this captivating content. Uncover the story behind these lost masterpieces and the quest to rediscover them.
Once housed at Friedenstein Castle in Germany, a series of five oil sketches by Peter Paul Rubens depicting saints went missing at the end of World War II. The castle, a grand baroque palace in eastern Germany, was the long-time residence of the dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
The Disappearance
In 1945, as American and Soviet forces approached Gotha, representatives of the ducal family removed truckloads of valuable art from the castle. Among the artworks taken were three of the Rubens oil sketches, later sold on the market. The castle, which had been turned into a public museum, lost many of its treasures during this chaotic period.
The Return of St. Gregory of Nazianzus
One of the missing Rubens sketches, specifically the one depicting “St. Gregory of Nazianzus,” is now being returned to Friedenstein Castle by the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. The museum in Buffalo acquired the artwork from a New York gallery in 1952 without knowing it had been misappropriated. A settlement has been reached, and the castle’s foundation is thrilled to have this piece back as part of its historical collection.