Evening lecture series organized by the working group Italy of the Arbeitskreis Provenienzforschung e.V. This year‘s online lecture series will focus on three case studies about Nazi-fascist provenance research and beyond in the context of Italy.
The first lecture will be given by Laura Scarante (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) on “From Confiscation to Exile: the fate of venetian art dealer Adolph Loewi in the two World Wars” (ENG)
The online lecture will take place online on 30 April, 2025 at 6:45 pm CET. Link to join the online event: us06web.zoom.us/j/85478667047?pwd=dFUaWVs5cKY6aqoXajMJIxraFnhD8E.1
The event will be moderated by Matilde Cartolari (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität / Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte, Munich). Technical support will be provided by Cinzia Cattin (Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin).
ABSTRACT:
The lecture focuses on the reconstruction of the biography of Adolph Loewi, providing insight into the wider historical context of Jewish-German art merchants in Italy throughout the two World Wars. Being a German national living in Italy during World War I, Loewi faced wartime regulations that resulted in the confiscation of his most prized possessions, which included various artworks that are currently displayed in museums in Venice. After this first confiscation, he faced further oppression during the fascist regime because of his Jewish origin. In 1939, Loewi and his family escaped from Europe to New York, where he started a new venture, entrusting his Venetian gallery to Alessandro Morandotti for management.
This talk aims to investigate the persecution endured by Adolph Loewi and will provide an analysis of the provenance research regarding the artworks taken from his collection during World War I. Additionally, new research insights on this topic will be discussed, including the challenges of reconstructing provenance through fragmented documentation and the most recently identified networks connecting Munich, Venice, and the United States in the trade and dispersal of Loewi family’s collection.
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