The director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is urging Germany to return a Dutch masterpiece stolen by Nazi troops during World War II, dramatizing its absence by hanging a black and white photo of the work with the label 91裸聊视频淪tolen91裸聊视频� in three languages.

Eike Schmidt said in a New Year91裸聊视频檚 appeal on Tuesday that the still-life 91裸聊视频淰ase of Flowers91裸聊视频� by Dutch artist Jan van Huysum is in the hands of a German family who hasn91裸聊视频檛 returned it despite numerous appeals. Instead, intermediaries for the family have demanded payment for its return to Italy.

91裸聊视频淭he painting is already the inalienable property of the Italian State, and thus cannot be 91裸聊视频榖ought,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Schmidt said.

The oil painting had been hanging as part of the Pitti Palace collection in Florence from 1824 until the outbreak of World War II. It was moved for safety during the war but was stolen by retreating German troops. It didn91裸聊视频檛 surface again until Germany91裸聊视频檚 reunification in 1991, when the offers to sell it back to Italy began.

91裸聊视频淭his story is preventing the wounds inflicted by World War II and the horrors of Nazism from healing,91裸聊视频� said Schmidt, who is German. 91裸聊视频淕ermany should not apply the statute of limitations to works of art stolen during the war, and it should take measures to ensure that those works are restored to their legitimate owners.91裸聊视频�

He called it Germany91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渕oral duty91裸聊视频� to return to the artwork, adding, 91裸聊视频淚 trust that the German government will do so at the earliest opportunity, naturally along with every other work of art stolen by the Nazi Wehrmacht.91裸聊视频�

The Associated Press

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