Kunsthaus Zürich Reaches Agreement with Sachs Heirs on Monet Painting
The Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft agreed on 5 June 2024 with the heirs of Carl Sachs on a just and fair solution for Claude Monet’s ‘L’Homme à l’ombrelle’ (1865/1867). The painting, on loan to the Kunsthaus Zürich since 1934, will be sold under the terms of the agreement. Research confirmed that Sachs, a Jewish collector from Breslau, sold the work under duress after fleeing Nazi persecution to Switzerland in 1939. The Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft presented its new provenance strategy in March 2023 and has prioritized systematic review of pre-1945 works that changed hands between 1933 and 1945.
The Signal
The agreement demonstrates the museum’s commitment to transparent handling of works with substantiated Nazi-era duress claims, including sales by emigrants in third countries. Proceeds accruing to the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft will be transferred to the Kunsthaus collection fund in line with the ICOM Code of Ethics. The outcome signals how provenance research can lead to resolutions that address historical injustices while supporting institutional collection management.
- Artists: Claude Monet
- People: Carl Sachs, Philipp Hildebrand, Imke Gielen
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich
- Locations: Zurich
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