The legacy of the world’s greatest theft during World War II by Hitler and the Nazis remains with us in so many tangible ways. Few reminders are more stark than looking at an auction catalogue from Sotheby’s or Christie’s. Rarely is there a sale of any magnitude that doesn’t include at least one painting or other work of art stolen by the Nazis at some point in time during their chokehold on Western Europe. Most of those times the painting was stolen for Adolph Hitler’s planned Führer Museum in Linz.

There are two major events that occur in London each July, both of which are near and dear to my interests. The first is, of course, The All England Championships, or Wimbledon as it is more widely known. The other are the Old Master Sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s which always follow the week after bringing most all the painting dealers from around the world together as well as many private collectors. These sales are particularly interesting this year as Sotheby’s has four paintings for sale that were looted during World War II, all subsequently restituted and now being sold by the current owners, while Christie’s has one. (These numbers pertain to their “main event” evening sales respectively; there may be other examples in their lesser sales.)

The phrases included in the provenance listings are enough to curl your blood: “Confiscated by the Nazi authorities in 1939 for the planned Führer Museum in Linz”; “Looted during the Second World War”; “Forced Sale of Liquidation Stock”; “Secured by the Nazi authorities and confiscated by the Vugesta (the Gestapo looting authority)”; and “Confiscated by the Russian Army”. I underscore that all paintings were subsequently restituted to their rightful owners, some shortly after the war, others only recently. But this underscores the current nature of this remarkable period in history as items once considered the prize of the Nazi thieves reenter the commercial market voluntarily rather than under threat or theft. These are exciting times.

(Mrs. Edith O’Donnell, Ms. Serena Rich, Director of Arts Program at O’Donnell Foundation, and NEH Chairman Dr. Bruce Cole at the Nasher Sculpture Garden for the announcement of Picturing America.)

On April 16 I was proud to be the master of ceremony at the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas for the announcement of the National Endowment for the Humanities newest educational initiative, Picturing America. NEH Chairman Bruce Cole, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Loriene Roy, President of American Library Association, Dr. Michael Hinojosa, Superintendent of Schools of Dallas Independent School District, and others participated in the ceremony to introduce this exciting program. In fact, Dallas was the very first city of six (Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco) to receive this program.

Picturing America will provide forty iconic American images - from Gilbert Stuart’s incredible painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware to James Karales’s unforgettable photograph of the 1965 civil rights march to Selma. These forty images plus lesson plans and teacher’s guides will be gifted to schools and libraries across the nation at no cost! By the day of our announcement, more than 30,000 schools had already applied to receive Picturing America.

This creative program brings museums and art galleries into the classrooms of our nation’s schools by affording kids and their teachers the opportunity to experience images works of art in a first hand, tactile way. It creates an innovative solution to the practical difficulties of getting all our school kids into museums to be exposed to these masterpieces. (To learn more about the Picturing America program please click on the following link: http://picturingamerica.neh.gov.

The NEH has allocated substantial funds to enable thousands of schools to receive Picturing America at no cost. However, like all organizations, the NEH doesn’t have limitless capital. For that reason, the ability to fund this great program for all schools and libraries that apply will ultimately depend on private donors. Wealthy cities such as Dallas have the resource base to seek and obtain such financial support: many smaller towns and communities in our country do not. For that reason, I was so please that the O’Donnell Foundation of Dallas stepped forward to make an important donation to the National Trust for the Humanities to help underwrite Picturing America. Edith and Peter O’Donnell have been such great philanthropist to our nation, in particular in the arts and educational arena. I hope their act of wisdom and generosity encourages others to come forward and support this wonderful program.

For those interested in learning how they can help support Picturing America please contact Ms. Mindy Berry, Senior Advisor to the Chairman, at mberry@neh.gov.

(Another happy day with my friend, Dr. Bruce Cole.)

Yesterday I addressed an audience of about 150 people as part of a symposium entitled "Protecting the Past: the Fate of Cultural Property in Times of Armed Conflict". It was befitting that this event was held at the headquarters of the National Trust for the Historic Preservation. In addition to the important role that organization plays in the preservation of our nation’s cultural history, the building was once an elegant apartment for Andrew Mellon, in my view our nation’s most benevolent patron of the arts.

It was a great honor to join my friend Lynn Nicholas and other speakers who included András J. Riedlmayer, Bibliographer in Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture in Harvard’s Fine Arts Library, who discussed the destruction of cultural property during the Balkan Wars of the 1990’s, Hays Parks, U.S. Department of Defense, and a decorated Veteran himself, who made an excellent presentation on the 1954 Hague Convention, Corine Wegener, President, U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield, who served in Iraq in the aftermath of the looting of the National Museum and is herself a modern day "Monuments Man", John Russell, Professor, Massachusetts College of Art, who also served in Iraq as an advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, and Richard Jackson, a retired Army Colonel who is now the Special Assistant to the Judge Advocate General for Law of War Matters.

This great group of experts, brought together by The Lawyer’s Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, Andrews and Kurth law firm, and the George Washington University Museum Studies Program, put on a heck of a show. I took 18 pages of notes and learned much more detail about the pervasiveness of this problem in past and present conflicts. It was sad in so many ways to see how painfully expensive the cost to our nation and civilization as a whole for not heeding the lessons learned by the Monuments Men during World War II However, I remain hopeful because of the people I met who are deeply committed to seeing improvements in our performance as a nation and as a member of the global community in this vitally important area.

A copy of my remarks follows:

(Lynn Nicholas, Thomas Kline, and me)

THE MONUMENTS MEN: HEROES OF CIVILIZATION

Let it be said that the telling of history is a never-ending relay race run at inconsistent intervals. Each historian advances our knowledge of a particular subject. Someday, others follow and, building on that body of work, further the research and provide new insights and understanding. For those of us working in this arena of cultural property, we will always owe a debt of gratitude to Lynn Nicholas for her extraordinary achievement in researching and writing “The Rape of Europa."

President John F. Kennedy once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but the men it honors, the men it remembers.” We as a nation have done a very poor job honoring the accomplishments of the Monuments Men and women, and even worse when it comes to preserving and utilizing their rich legacy In these last few years our country has paid a horrible price. The wisdom of the ages tells us that those who ignore history are destined to relive it. Events in Iraq in April 2003 made sad proof of this timeless truth. How different it might have been!

Within weeks of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, key American museum personnel, scholars, and other respected officials in the cultural world set in motion actions that within less than two years resulted in the creation of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, known as the “Roberts Commission”. Under their aegis a section was created known as the Monuments, Fine Art, and Archives, or MFAA. These “Monuments Men”, initially a part of the Civil Affairs Division, were later attached directly to the various individual Allied Armies in the field of battle.

This small group of museum directors, curators, art historians and educators volunteered for service to protect cultural monuments and works of art, and assist with temporary repairs when possible. With no more than a dozen or so men working in Italy, and another dozen in France by D-Day plus 30, their task was seemingly impossible. Hitchhiking was a common mode of transport as they had almost no vehicles. The resources available to them to do their job were pitiful. So much of what they accomplished occurred as a result of personal initiative and ingenuity.

As the war progressed and the full scope of Hitler and the Nazi’s greatest theft in history became known, the Monuments Men’s attention shifted to locating and rescuing tens of thousands of the most treasured works of art including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Leonardo da Vinci, and sculpture by Donatello and Michelangelo to name but a few. In the closing months of the war these Monuments Men, by that time numbering no more than 50 or so American and British officers and soldiers, located in more than 1500 hiding places—salt and copper mines, castles, and other structures above and below ground—paintings, sculpture, church bells, Torah scrolls and other religious artifacts, stained glass, the great libraries of Europe, the entire contents of the Reichsbank including gold worth in today’s dollars about $5 billion, and even the trolley cars from the city of Amsterdam. It was the greatest treasure hunt in history, a hunt that continues to this day.

At war’s end, when most of the western Allied Forces were being demobilized and sent home, the Monuments Men’s work had just begun.Collecting Points were created almost overnight to house the hundreds of thousands of cultural items and art treasures being located and removed from repositories throughout Germany and northern Austria. The Monuments Men needed everything: research assistants, photographers, typists, packers and shippers to name just a few of their personnel needs. Within a few months their ranks rose to a total number of about 350 or so men and women from 13 nations of which about 70 percent were American. Restitutions began almost immediately. Paintings and sculpture belonging to the great museums of Florence made a triumphant entry into Piazza Signoria in July 1945. In northern Europe, returns initially focused on the iconic works of art stolen from the key Allied countries. The great Ghent Alterpiece was first, followed by the Bruges Madonna and then token restitutions of select paintings to France and the Netherlands. The restitutions that followed took years and in fact, occupied a few of the Monuments Men and women until 1951 when the final Collecting Point was closed. By that time, more than 5 million cultural items had been returned to the countries from which they had been stolen.

The actions of the Monuments Men were without precedent. It was the first time an army attempted to fight a war while mitigating damage to cultural treasures.Historic orders were issued on numerous occasions by the Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, stating that “We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows.” At the end of the war, the policy of the Western Allied nations was clearly announced to the world: to the victors do NOT belong the spoils of war. That which was stolen was ordered returned.

More orders were issued:General Bradley stated, “we are a conquering army, but we are not a pillaging army”. The statements of these leaders during World War II stand in stark contrast to comments we heard from the Secretary of Defense in the aftermath of the looting of the National Museum of Iraq:“Freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things…stuff happens.”

And lest you think all the attention of the Monuments Men was focused on Europe, consider that Monuments officer Langdon Warner, one of the world’s leading authorities on Asian art and a noted archaeologist, pleaded with the War Department to avoid bombing the key Japanese cities of Kyoto and Nara in the closing days of the war. He successfully made the case that destruction of these cultural centers would forever impair Japan from rebuilding. Today, in both cities, there stand shrines built by the citizens of those cities honoring Langdon Warner for his actions.

Several years ago an archeologist was interviewed about how Iraq’s treasures could have been better protected. In response to a suggestion from the reporter that perhaps such noted scholars could assist in the field, the archeologist demurred and said, “it is too dangerous; someone could be killed.” And during the fighting in World War II, two Monuments Men were killed: Major Ronald Balfour, a British officer who in civilian life was a noted Cambridge scholar; and Captain Walter Huchthausen, an accomplished American architect. Dangerous indeed. When asked ‘is art worth a life’, one of our 12 living Monuments Men, Lt. Bernie Taper, had the following to say:

In late 1945, in an act of ambition or ignorance, official word came from the United States ordering the removal from one of the Collecting Points in Germany to the National Gallery in Washington of 202 irreplaceable works of art formerly in the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum in Berlin on the grounds that the Monuments Men were not able to properly and safely protect these works of art. An outcry erupted. Perhaps the most eloquent words ever written on the subject of art looting and restitution were penned by a group of Monuments officers who then took the unprecedented step of signing this document under threat of court-martial and subsequently submitting it to their superior officer.

“no historical grievance will rankle so long, or be the cause of so much justified bitterness, as the removal, for any reason, of a part of the heritage of any nation, even if that heritage may be interpreted as a prize of war. And though this removal may be done with every intention of altruism, we are none the less convinced that it is our duty, individually and collectively, to protest against it, and that though our obligations are to the nation to which we owe allegiance, there are yet further obligations to common justice, decency and the establishment of the power of right, not of expediency or might, among civilized nations.”

Monuments Officer Captain Edith Standen would later write, “it is not enough to be virtuous, we must also appear so.” In time, all 202 works of art were returned to Germany.

I could extol the virtues of these brave men and women endlessly, and I fully intend to do so. Every time we walk into a museum, a church or library in Western Europe, we enjoy a timeless part of who we are as a civilization because of the sacrifices they made 63 years ago. They wrote the book on the protection of cultural property during armed conflict. They placed their lives and their careers at risk to stand on the principle that the cultural treasures of others should be protected and returned. They left us a legacy so replete with life affirming examples there can only be one action required of us: to find the courage to act.

Relations between Russia and Germany have been extremely challenged in the arena of cultural restitution of looted works of art during World War II.  This is a highly emotionally charged subject that often inspires considerable rhetoric from nationalists in Russia who cite the obvious for why Russia shouldn’t return any German works of art:  Hitler and the Nazis started the war, not the Soviet Union.  Of course, this is inarguable.  The horrific losses of the Soviet Union, estimated to be as many as 25 million people—7.5 million soldiers and 17.5 million civilians—is so mind boggling in scope as to be difficult to grasp.  (Think about a city the size of Mexico City vanishing as a point of reference.) 

I am frequently asked what I think about the ongoing debate that always simmers with periodic flare-ups on the occasion of a newly discovered or confirmed German work of art being located in Russia.  Some point out that the Hague Convention makes no provision for any country to keep such artifacts as compensation for war losses.  That is true of course.  However, I don’t believe that those who framed the convention could have foreseen that one nation could be so thoroughly devastated and destroyed as Russia experienced during the War.  Truly, the losses in all areas were staggering.  The problem of how to deal with this situation is but another example of the altered legacy left us by Hitler and the Nazis.

Reason does, on occasion, prevail.  In fact, the more often these matters are left to the cultural officials and museum officials rather than the politicians, the more likely and frequently a solution will be found.  Recently, Russia’s lower house of Parliament (the State Duma) approved the return of six stained glass windows to St. Mary’s Church, Marienkirche, in Frankfurt-upon-Oder.  These windows had been housed in Moscow’s Pushkin Museum.  This followed the return in 2002 by Russia of 111 stained glass panels to the church which had been stored at the Hermitage Museum and, at the time, were thought to be all of the stained glass windows in Russia’s possession.  No doubt the precedent established in the earlier return made this recent decision easier.  Still, there has been a public hardening of positions in Russia since 2002, so I consider this a small sign but still a sign of progress. 

This horrible situation will require decades to solve.  It is a generational problem, a process, not an event.  It is a thaw….but one that over time, I believe will occur in one form or another.  Without visiting Russia, in particular such places as Pyskaria….cemetery outside St. Petersburg, where up to one million people are buried, most of whom starved to death during the Blockade, it is impossible to appreciate the open wound so many people in Russia still feel from the events that took place more than 67 years ago.  

Good health is the most precious blessing we possess. Regardless of our level of appreciation of that fact, little else serves as a more poignant reminder of this reality than being sick, or worse, some surgery. I’ve been very fortunate to avoid more common problems affecting others, however my cross to bear has been sinus problems. This week delivered me up to the sinus surgeon for a fourth time….so apologies for a lengthy absence of writing blog entries. I feel ok, a bit weak, but hopefully — hopefully — this will help fix the problem.

There are alot of great stories on which to report. The elusive search for the Amber Panels about which I recently wrote has been suspended. I pretty much predicted that outcome; I do not believe they will find the Amber Panels intact in this dig. As often times happens in these ventures, the "partners" have had a falling out at least momentarily, and that usually somehow involves funding. So the mystery of those remarkable panels remains unsolved if they are extant, or the scams involved in searching for them continue if they are not. Hope is a powerful and intoxicating motive to keep searching for something so unique and valuable, but it must be balanced with reason, information, and facts. "Che vediamo" the Italians say (We’ll see!)

(German troops annex Austria)

March 12th passed without the attention it deserved — the 70th anniversary of Hitler’s parading into Austria for the Anschluss. It is hard to believe that 70 years have passed and yet we are still living with the legacy of Hitler and the Nazis. That certain segments of Austria have so begrudgingly addressed that country’s deplorable complicity in enabling and supporting Hitler and the Nazis is shameful. Even today certain museums and collectors in Austria, such as the Leopold Museum in Vienna, allegedly possess works of art stolen from victims of the war and Holocaust. The Leopold’s founder, Rudolph Leopold, recently told the weekly magazine, Falter, that "works [of art] bought legally in good faith should be able to remain in Austria" and that the claimants of works of art were "only interested in money". Of course, legal entitled heirs MAY only be interested in money or not, but if it is their rightful property then it is their right to dispose of the asset as they so choose. More on this story in the weeks ahead.

I spent the last two weeks on the road interviewing families of Monuments Men who had never been contacted by others before. It was a remarkable experience, one I shall always cherish, as these fine people are so eager for their loved one to be recognized for his or her service to civilization during World War II. Of course, we remain committed to doing just that….

Back to bed and some needed rest….best wishes and good health to all of you.

Exciting news has been reported from an area of Germany just across from the Czech Republic border where treasure hunters have been searching for years for the lost Amber Panels, the famed wall panels handmade by German craftsmen and gifted by King Frederick William I of Germany to Peter the Great of Russia in 1716. Each piece of translucent brownish-yellow fossil was painstakingly hand carved and fitted by German master craftsmen over the course of twelve years and subsequently installed in Tsarskoye Selo or Catherine Palace as it is more familiarly known in the west.

The invading Nazis looted the panels in late 1940 and shipped them to Königsberg Castle. They survived Allied bombing in August 1944 and were about to be shipped to Saxony in January 1945 when Soviet forces stormed Königsberg. Until now, most experts have believed that the panels were destroyed during the ensuing battle, probably unknowingly by Soviet artillery. In the early 1990’s one of several small, portable amber mosiacs that hung in the room over the large and enormously heavy panels surfaced at an art market in Germany giving rise to stories that the panels existed. Still, no other evidence of their existence has surfaced.

(This is but one of many such old mine entrances I saw during my trip) 

In 2001 I visited this area of Germany and the Czech Republic and saw the area in which these multiple “digs” were taking place even then. In fact, the search for the panels has been ongoing since the end of the war and more recently by treasure hunters, each convinced that he has the key piece of information, the key map, the unimpeachable source, that will lead to the hidden chamber.

Late yesterday Peter Haustein, Mayor of Deutschneudorf, reported that he believes his long search to find the hidden storage chamber was nearing a successful conclusion. He believes that his team has located a stash of gold bars that is related to the clues he has developed over many years. Out of concern for possible mines or other boobytraps in the chamber, no one has yet entered to determine its contents, but evidently that day looms near. It was very common for the Nazis to seal these caves and other storage facilities with mines as the Monuments Men found out on a number of occasions.

The world awaits the outcome with great hope….the greatest treasure hunt in history continues!!!! Stay tuned.

We had a great week of feedback from the public about the CBS Sunday Morning Show segment as well as the recent Smithsonian Magazine article, both of which were in the works for more than a year. The CBS piece was especially gratifying as we have had numerous calls from people connected to this story, several of whom we’ve been trying to locate, and several leads on looted art which we are tracking down. It didn’t hurt book sales either as Rescuing Da Vinci shot to as high as number 13 on Amazon’s bestseller list. My father used to always say, "A rising tide lifts all boats", and he was certainly correct as Lynn Nicholas’ book The Rape of Europa also climbed the ranks.

A reminder: please tune in to Rick Steves Show tomorrow, to hear my interview with him about our amazing project. You can check local air times and the station by clicking on the following link: www.ricksteves.com. In Dallas the program airs on KERA 90.1 FM at 2pm Central Time. I am sure you’ll enjoy Rick’s questions quite informative as he has traveled extensively throughout Europe.

The news of my father’s death proved quite a distraction: a day passed before I even thought to ask what happen with the Academy Awards nominations for Best Documentary category. In fact, our film, The Rape of Europa, was not selected among the final five candidates. It was quite an honor for it to have been included in the first cut of 15 films, especially given the peregrinations this film took before reaching the big screen. Of the final five that were selected, I recommend seeing "No End in Sight". Aside from its thought-provoking content, I like it for another reason: the producer of the film had never made one before!!! It is but another example of how ANYTHING is possible fore someone with the passion, wisdom, and commitment to have an idea and see it through to conclusion no matter the obstacles ahead. DON’T LET ANYONE EVER HAVE YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN"T BE WHAT OR WHO YOU STRIVE TO BE!!

We’re having a usual Dallas winter…air conditioning for a day, then heating. Perfect weather for getting a nasty cold…and I guess it was my turn. Hope everyone is feeling better than me today!!! Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm.

From left: Scott Nolley, Conservator; Mrs. Keck; Amy Fernandez Byrne, Conservator; and Ann Motley, Registrar of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center. (Photo Credit with thanks to the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC))

We were all sadden to learn of the announcement about the passing of Caroline Keck, affectionately known by her many students “Ma” Keck. Caroline was the wife to Monuments Man Sheldon Keck, both of whom were monumental figures in the world of painting conservation. So many of the great conservationist working in museums today were trained by the Kecks or one of their many students.

I will have a lot more to say about the loss of this fine and gifted contributor to the arts in a subsequent blog as I am traveling today. However, I have included a link to the New York Times Obituary which will provide you with some basic information on Caroline Keck. I also want to say a word of thanks to the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) as there photo of Caroline Keck was better quality than ours and we certainly wanted to provide you with the best possible photo.

(David Rubenstein)

Our nation came precariously close to losing the perhaps the most important document in the world — the Magna Carta. Some refer to this documents as the “birth certificate of freedom”. The Magna Carta dates to 1297!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is one of only 17 known copies of a document that defined “human rights as the foundation for liberty and democracy” as we know it today. All other versions save one (in Australia) are located in Britain.

This version is in particularly fine condition. It was previously owned by the Perot Foundation having been purchased by Ross Perot in the 1980’s for about $1,500,000. Since 1988 the document was on loan to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. where it was on view in the same room as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Some have estimated that as many as 40-50 million people have since seen it.

(At Sotheby’s, just minutes before the Magna Carta was sold)

Ironically, the very day we were donating the “Hitler Albums” to the National Archives, the Magna Carta was being picked up to be taken to Sotheby’s in New York for sale by the Perot Foundation. It seems they decided to sell this irreplaceable document of civilization to raise money for their already heavy commitment to medical research. Ross Perot has been and is a great patriot of this nation; much of what he does to help others occurs behind the scenes. Still, it seems to me that this sale created a terrible risk that, with our very weak dollar, investors, collectors and speculators from other parts of the world would swoop in to purchase this incredible part of history.

In steps a new patriot, one less visible to the public than Ross Perot but a person who understood the importance of the Magna Carta to our nation and was determined to purchase it and return it to the National Archives: David Rubenstein. After successfully purchasing the document at a short but exciting sale Tuesday night in New York, Mr. Rubenstein stated graciously that “it was a way for [me] to repay a debt that I have to the country.” Not surprising to me was the fact that his first congratulatory call came from Professor Allen Weinstein, Chief Archivist of the United States, who was both relieved and delighted to learn that the Magna Carta was headed back “home”.

Congratulations to David Rubenstein. He has given our nation a “Christmas gift” of inestimable value for all time. Our nation owes him a big “thank you”!!!

This vehicle, carrying a custom crate containing the portrait of King Charles I, was in transit to Manod for underground storage. Officials had to lower the level of the road to create sufficient passage-way. This was but one of many types of problems confronting museum officials as they rushed to protect their national heritage (from Rescuing Da Vinci, pg 53)	Anthony van Dyck, Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, c. 1637-38. Oil on canvas, 3.7 x 2.9m (14 ft 2 in x 9 ft 6 in). The National Gallery, London.

I visited the National Gallery today and walked directly into the room with magnificent painting by Anthony van Dyck of Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, an enormous canvas measuring about 12 by 10 feet. This great work, painted in 1637, was just one of thousands of works of art at the National Gallery and other London museums that were at risk during World War II.

In preparation for war, museum officials packed up tens of thousands of paintings, sculptures, and other priceless treasures and began the complicated process of transporting them to famous but remote country estates and castles for safekeeping. Some would remain there for the duration of the war, but in many cases others had to be relocated again to quarries and mines in the Wales region where they were placed underground.

Movement of the van Dyck was a particularly cumbersome problem due to its size. It was loaded on its own truck and secured to a large wood panel, then covered with a tarpeline for added security. Seems simple enough, et?

In fact, the well-mapped out road to its intended destination overlooked one crucial detail: road overpass height! As such, the vehicle couldn’t pass beneath the bridge above, even after deflating the tires. These kind of problems bedeviled art officials in allied countries over and over again.

In this instance, officials actually lowered the road a sufficient depth to allow passage. The painting ultimately arrived safely to Manod Quarry where it sat out the war. All this effort was perversely rewarded: the National Gallery along with most of London’s main museums were damaged by German bombing and subsequent fires during the blitz of the great city. That we can visit today this incredible museum and enjoy such wonderful works of art is a credit to the museum officials — and Monuments Men — who worked so diligently at protecting these treasures of civilization for us all.