Looted art sold back to Dutch

The U.S. heirs to a major collection of art looted by the Nazis and finally returned after years of legal wrangling have sold four paintings back to the Dutch government for $4 million and donated a fifth.

Connecticut resident Marei von Saher, heir to the “Goudstikker Collection,” said that she wanted to show her gratitude in particular to a professor who headed an independent Dutch commission on Nazi-era claims.

Rudi Ekkart’s recommendation led to the return to Von Saher of about 200 paintings worth an estimated $79 million to $110 million.

The paintings sold and donated Tuesday all date from the 1600s and are considered important works by Dutch masters, but none was by artists with the stature of Rembrandt or Jan Steen.