Restitution

New York court rules against repatriation of ancient artefact to Turkey

A marble idol known as the “Stargazer” will remain in the collection of billionaire Michael Steinhardt

Vatican returns Parthenon sculptures to Greece in 'historic event'

Restitution shows that a "road of dialogue and peace always exists", according to a representative of the Holy See

Restitutionanalysis

Digital shadows: what happens to an artefact's data after it is restituted?

Museums are stepping up efforts to return physical objects to their original owners—but repatriation policies often do not consider the digital information associated with them

Even restituted artefacts—like Benin bronzes—need export licences from UK, says arts minister

Formal requirement for government licences may well prove to be yet another obstacle to a loan agreement for the Parthenon Marbles

British Museum's chairman suggests 'hybrid' deal with Greece over Parthenon Marbles

"I think there is a way forward where the sculptures could be seen both in London and in Athens, and that will be a win-win for Greece and for us,” George Osborne says

Musée D'Orsay ordered by Paris court to return four masterpieces by Renoir, Cézanne and Gauguin stolen during Second World War

The works were owned by influential French dealer Ambroise Vollard and will be returned to his heirs

Art from persecuted Jewish dealer draws scrutiny at National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

Findings about the provenance of two Old Master drawings in the museum’s collection may test the pro-restitution stance recently adopted at US national institutions

Restituted Kandinsky painting lost in the Holocaust could sell for $45m

The painting, which was the subject of a decade-long provenance dispute, will go up for sale at Sotheby’s London in March

'New French restitution laws should benefit the market—and maybe force change in Britain too?'

As the Washington Principles turn 25, the complexities of restitution in a global art world have mushroomed—leaving lessons to be learned for institutions, governments and art market players

Christie's marks 25 years of the Washington Principles on Nazi-confiscated art

Auction house kicked off its year-long restitution programme in Paris last week which aims to educate collectors and buyers

Virgin Mary and Christ diptych, stolen during Second World War, returned to Poland

The paintings, from the workshop of the Flemish master Dieric Bouts, were transferred from the Museo Provincial de Pontevedra in Spain to Gołuchów Castle

Was Van Gogh's olive grove landscape another Nazi-era 'forced sale'?

We uncover the tangled tale of the painting controversially sold off by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1972 and now in an Athens museum

Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton: the enduring allure of art and luxury

Plus, Michael Rakowitz's ambitious restitution plans and Rosy Martin's photographical iconostasis

Hosted by Ben Luke. Produced by David Clack and Aimee Dawson
Sponsored byChristie's

Jewish collectors’ heirs sue the Guggenheim for return of Blue Period Picasso

The heirs of Karl and Rosi Adler claim “Woman Ironing (La repasseuse)” (1904) was sold under duress by the fleeing couple and are seeking its return—or as much as $200m in compensation

No plans to return Berlin's star museum attractions Nefertiti and Pergamon Altar, German official says

Statement comes after Berlin state secretary for diversity and anti-discrimination spoke out in favour of restituting the artefacts to their countries of origin

British Museum's hopes of a 'loan arrangement' for the return of the Parthenon Marbles imperilled ahead of Greek elections

The Greek prime minister has pledged to repatriate the 2,500-year-old sculptures if re-elected

Germany kicks off major Benin bronze restitution with return of 20 artefacts to Nigeria

The agreement—signed by the two countries in July—involves the return of 1,100 objects in total

Did the Metropolitan Museum cover up its acquisition of a Nazi-looted Van Gogh? A new lawsuit alleges so

The heirs of a Jewish collector who fled Germany in the 1930s claim that well-documented provenance issues with the painting “La cueillette des olives” have been overlooked by the museum and the Greek foundation that now owns it

Cologne museum to transfer 92-strong Benin bronze collection back to Nigeria

The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum is the latest Western institution to return its collection of artefacts looted from Nigeria in the late-19th century

Pope Francis returns Vatican Museums’ Parthenon marbles to Greece

The pope’s decision to give the Vatican’s three Parthenon marbles to the head of the Greek Orthodox Church comes amid mounting pressure on the British Museum to repatriate its marbles to Greece

The Year in Art: We take a look at 2022’s biggest stories—and what they mean

Plus, our writers sit down to discuss their favourite works of the year

Hosted by Ben Luke. With guest speakers Louisa Buck, Kabir Jhala and Benjamin Sutton. Produced by David Clack, Aimee Dawson and Henrietta Bentall
Sponsored byChristie's

US campaign group sues Smithsonian over return of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Restitution Study Group have lost their first legal battle but insist the case is still pending

New York court dismisses restitution case brought against the Israel Museum

A Holocaust restitution case over the Bird’s Head Haggadah, the oldest manuscript of its kind, has been dismissed by the New York Supreme Court on behalf of the Israel Museum

'Don't expect us to be passive' in the face of restitution: British Museum chair defies return of looted artefacts

In speech at the annual trustees dinner George Osborne said that "dismantling" the collection "must not become the careless act of a single generation”

How an old postcard helped Jewish heirs retrieve their Kandinsky painting from a Dutch museum

The work, which has been in Eindhoven's Van Abbemuseum since the early 1950s, originally belonged to a collector who died in the Holocaust

Benin bronzes online database goes live with details of thousands of looted artefacts

"Digital Benin" catalogue gathers together information on objects stolen from the Kingdom of Benin and now held in collections around the world

Qatari sheikh’s rare ivory mask, stolen from Benin City by the British, is one of five on public display—none in Nigeria

The 16th-century mask was withdrawn from sale at Sotheby’s over a decade ago amid escalating calls for restitution

UK heritage minister says government has no plans to amend law that prevents museums from 'disposing' of objects

The 1983 National Heritage Act was debated in the House of Lords—but the issue of reform will be further discussed ahead of its 40-year anniversary in May 2023

Trove of Benin bronzes in US museum collections repatriated to Nigeria

The National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum marked the return of the sculptures with a ceremony in Washington, DC