Rare Monet Artwork Stolen by Nazis in 1940 Recovered by FBI, Returns to the Parlagi Family

Another artwork returns home to its rightful owner after authorities tracked down its looters from World War II.

With the efforts of the Art Crime Team of the FBI, together with US Attorneys, a rare Claude Monet pastel made on paper is going to be in the repatriation process after almost a decade.

According to NDTV, the rare Monet artwork, named 'Bord de Mer' went missing in the 1940's after being looted by Nazis. It was created by the artist himself in 1865 and was bought by the Parlagi family from an Austrian art auction that took place in 1936.

Four years later, it went to the hands of the Gestapo.

Unfortunately, it remained in the hands of the secret police group after a Nazi art dealer purchased it at an auction and disappeared one year later in 1941.

Finding the Nazi-Looted Monet Artwork

Last year, the official FBI website shared that it received a lead when Bord de Mer became included in a list of auctions at a certain Houston art gallery. Then-owners of Bord de Mer, Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Schlamp were immediately informed of its looted history by the authorities.

They eventually surrendered the piece right away. Earlier this year, on May 2024, the US Attorney's office for the Eastern Direct of Louisiana, provided a consent judgment. This helped the recent generation of Parlagis to receive full ownership of Claude Monet's 1865 artwork.

Currently, there are other artworks stolen from the clutch of the Parlagis in 1940, with Monet only being one of them. According to ABC News, the family identified themselves as Protestants during the German occupation but was still considered Jews.

Authorities and the organization that helped find Bord de Mer stated that finding Monet and many more looted artworks is priceless as it symbolizes the family's history and legacy nearly erased by Nazis.