From 1933 to 1945, hundreds of thousands of artworks were confiscated, sold under duress, or displaced as part of orchestrated and targeted measures against Jewish collectors in Germany and other occupied or war-torn countries. The crimes of this period continue to affect the art world today, and the tasks of tracing lost collections, restoring historical records, and, most importantly, restitution of these artworks are ongoing. As the world's leading auction house, Christie's plays a central role within the art market in establishing best practices for provenance research and claims handling. Join us for this exclusive talk with Sarah Done, Deputy Director of Restitution at Christie’s, as she explores how Christie's manages the complex area of restitution, and how this work provides insights into some of the stories and paintings on their rostrum.
This program was originally presented via Zoom on October 16, 2020.
Sarah Done is Deputy Director of Restitution at Christie's, and since 2003, has been part of an international team dealing with the ongoing challenge of researching artworks spoliated during the Nazi era that might come through the auction house's doors. Done is involved in research and due diligence around artwork provenance, and helps resolve claims where they arise. She has been involved in the review and resolution of approximately 200 restitution cases.
Public Programs at The CJM are made possible thanks to generous support from Grants for the Arts and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund.