“Gurlitt took advantage of the desperate straits of the Wolffson family, offering only 150 reichsmarks for Gothic Church and 300 reichsmarks for Roofs, roughly $60 and $120 at the time. Immediately after buying them, however, Gurlitt flipped Roofs for 1,400 reichsmarks–a 367 percent profit. He decided to keep Gothic Church for himself.”

I found the organization and sequencing of this book would be difficult to use for research purposes. The information was well-researched, but the organization was sometimes difficult to follow. The heist that Cornelius Gurlitt’s father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, coordinated and kept secret for so long was astounding. The German government’s response to crime is even more astounding.

The prologue reads like a scandal from a magazine. The author gets a call in 2013 from her editor about a stash of Nazi-looted paintings found in the home of Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of Hildebrand Gurlitt, and wants her to cover the story. While investigating, she discovers the German government is focused on the art for taxation purposes rather than ethical or moral reasons. However, this modern-day story is not picked up in the book again until the end around 75%. 

Thereafter, information delves into the history of artistic movements in Germany shortly before WWII. The artists are comprehensively detailed, specifically George Grosz. His history, education, family, and artistic background are detailed thoroughly for 10% of the book. I was unsure and asking myself why so much on this one man? But he is cycled back to at the end of this book and is used to mirror what was felt by many of the local artists holistically and to navigate what happened to them. 

Hitler comes into play at around 25% of this book, as a young man. His primary school, social, religious upbringing, and family history are accounted for. His obsession with art throughout his life projects into his political display as a leader. Claiming that art and Nazism are inseparable facets to the success of his regime, he restricts and censors all “degenerate culture” (non-Aryan art, or anything that does not support Nazism). He advocates for the success his Fuhrermuseum Project (his dream art museum) even when losing the war. In this source, everything surrounding Hitler’s campaign stem back to his love and passion for art.
Now, Hildebrand Gurlitt comes back into the picture. While using the Holocaust victims and others in monetary turmoil to profit for himself, Gurlitt was responsible for selecting/buying pieces for Hitler. Yet Gurlitt couldn’t help but secretly pocket his own pieces along the way.

The end of the book sequences back to Grosz and the artists who were “degenerate”, detailing what happened to them. After this recount, it goes back to the 2013-2018 case against Gurlitt. This was my favorite part.

Artists included in this book, but not limited to: Emil Nolde, Otto Dix, Ernst Kirchner, Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann, Kathe Kollwitz, Gustave Courbet, Adolph Menzel, Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Eugene Delacroix, George Grosz, Henri Matisse, Max Liebermann, Edgar Degas

Many thanks to Perseus Books, Public Affairs, Mary M. Lane, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

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