Marty Grosz wants father's paintings back

[brownie]

I was not aware that jazz guitarist Marty Grosz was the son of the great George Grosz. He is now trying to get back some of his father's stolen artworks.

Der Spiegel story

[paul secor]

Art world crooks seem to give Wall Street crooks a good run for the money. Here's hoping that the Grosz family prevails.

[jazzbo]

Amen.

[king ubu]

I had no idea Marty Grosz was related to George! I've loved Grosz' paintings for a long time, one of the most critical voices of Germany in the culturally very rich (at least up to the late 20s, that is) years between the wars.

Why do these discussions and disclosures come up again and again in recent years? Is it because the heirs are dying themselves soon and trying to get at least some justice before they go?

And why are the big museums such hard cases to break? Just because they don't want to create a precedence? I'm not sure that's enough to pay the prize of being ethically on the wrong side...

On the other hand, cases like that one (was it the Klimt case? Or the Kirchner?) where the heirs get the paitings back only to sell them on the market I find problemtic to say the least... it's another difficult issue of course, but if all of them had such plans as the Grosz heirs have, that would be great of course! On the other hand, if it's their property, they can do what they like, but if they sell it to some rich moneybag who hides it away from the public, the question of ethics is risen anew, and not in favour of the heirs, I find...