A New York state court ordered the restitution of a valuable painting by Amedeo Modigliani, looted by the Nazis during World War II, to the sole grandson of its rightful owner, the art dealer Oscar Stettiner. The ruling, issued on April 3, ends a 17-year legal battle and recognizes the rights of Philippe Maestracci, 81, who celebrated the decision as a historic reparation. "I am happy for my grandfather and for his memory," he declared to the French newspaper Le Figaro. The painting in question, titled 'Seated Man with a Cane,' was painted in 1919 and is valued at around 21.5 million euros. The portrait depicts Georges Menier, a member of a prominent French chocolate-making family. For Maestracci, however, the economic value is secondary to its symbolic meaning. These elements were decisive in the court ordering its restitution. The decision marks a new precedent in international efforts to return artworks looted by the Nazis to their rightful owners or heirs. However, it remains to be determined how and when the restitution will be carried out, while the Nahmad collection evaluates the possibility of appealing the ruling. The story dates back to 1940, when Stettiner fled Paris as German troops advanced. His gallery was looted and his works sold at a public auction at the Hôtel Drouot in 1944. It was then acquired by collector David Nahmad, based in New York. However, when he attempted to resell it in 2008, questions arose about its provenance, which reactivated the investigations. The case took a decisive turn in 2025, when 54 documentary evidence were presented to the US justice system directly linking the work to the Nazi plunder and the Stettiner family. Although a French court annulled the sale and ordered the restitution of the pieces in 1946, the Modigliani was never recovered before the dealer's death in 1948. Decades later, in 1996, the painting reappeared on the international market at a Christie's auction in London. "After so many years, what they did to my grandfather has been repaired," stated the heir, a resident of the Dordogne region.
