Nazi Loot Hoarder Disappears; Police Suspect Second Cache of Works

Not only has 80-year-old Cornelius Gurlitt disappeared on officials but he sold a significant work after the authorities confiscated his horde of looted art in 2011 leading the police to wonder if there is not another cache of paintings hidden somewhere else, according to the Independent:

“He could be anywhere in Germany. We think he may have access to unlimited funds,” a Munich customs spokesman said. The works are currently being held in a customs storage depot outside Munich while a state prosecutor’s investigation continues.

Customs officials said they were searching for a second cache of valuable “lost” art works by modern masters including Picasso, Max Beckmann, and Marc Chagall among others, which they thought Mr Gurlitt was living off by slowly selling them and parking the proceeds in a Swiss account.

They said their suspicions were raised by his sale of a Max Beckmann  masterpiece entitled “The Lion Tamer” at auction in Cologne in December 2011 – two months after his  secret cache of paintings was discovered and confiscated by customs officials. “The Lion Tamer” was sold off for a total of €864,000 at the Lempertz auction house.

Search Is On for Second Cache of Art Confiscated by Nazis (Independent)