Renoir’s work, looted by the Nazis and recovered by his heirs, was auctioned in Paris

A work by Pierre Auguste Renoir, looted by the Nazis Second World War, It was sold in Paris this week for more than 300,000 euros after being returned to the descendants of its rightful owner.

The painting with the title Laveuse – “Laundress” in French – was painted around 1916 and measures only 30 × 35 cm. It features three female figures drawn with splashes of color against a surface of water, in a style that deviates from the most classic Renoir and approaches an almost abstract sensibility.

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It originally belonged to the Jewish art dealer Alfred Vineyardsr, a Hungarian living in Paris in the 1920s, whose collection also included five other paintings by Renoir and a work by Eugene Delacroix. In 1941, with the Nazi occupation of France, his assets were confiscated by the regime’s plundering organization, depriving his family of their cultural and personal heritage.

After the end of the war, the work was included in the official looted collection, but no trace of it was lost. For decades “Laveuse” It remained absent from officialdom, its identity diluted by name changes and successive owners.

The painting resurfaced in the 1980s when a collector purchased it in good faith from a Paris gallery. Apparently legitimate, it had the usual documentation (certificate of authenticity, driver’s license, etc.).

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The decisive discovery recently occurred during an estate inventory: when looking through the background of the work, the heir discovered evidence of its illegal origin. He notified the auction house that he wanted to sell it – the process was immediately halted – and the return procedures began. Ultimately, “Laveuse” was returned to Weinberger’s descendants.

The Auction: Restitution, Memory and Value

After their recovery, the family decided to entrust the sale to the auction house again. Hotel Drouot. The work was completed on December 5, 2025 in an environment steeped in history €303,312 (including expenses)which exceeds the previous estimate.

The campaign was presented as an “example of a return with a solid result”: the sale not only confirmed the artistic value of the work, but also honored its past. For many in the art world, this auction shows that historical memories can be saved – and enhanced – without losing their validity to the market.

Furthermore, the case is part of a growing trend towards the rediscovery of stolen works. The fact that “Laveuse” is getting its name, its history and its legitimacy back is a sign that there is still room for justice, remembrance and reparation.

LV/EM