Some of the most famous paintings from World War II were taken from their homes by the Nazis. These included a painting by Klimt known as Portrait of a Young Man. In an effort to prevent their destruction, the owners hid them in Sienawa. Nevertheless, the works were later confiscated and sent to the Berlin Museum of Modern Art. After the war, most of these masterpieces were returned to their owners.
Another important example of a lost piece is the “Stone Breakers” by Gustave Courbet. This 1849 painting of a working class gang was a social realism masterpiece, depicting every wrinkle, stitch, and fray on their clothes. Many other pieces by the artist were lost in the Allied bombing of Dresden's castle. This was just one of the many missing paintings from World War II.
The Allied forces are trying to recover this art, which is estimated to be over 200,000 pieces. While these works are being looked for, some are simply not recoverable. According to the Art Loss Register, more than 30,000 works of art were stolen during the war. However, the vast majority of these pieces were taken from private collectors and art dealers. These paintings are not easy to locate, so this is a big problem.
