I think that the role of art theft in conquest is fascinating. This goes as far back as the times of the Romans where the sacking of Jerusalem was etched into Arch of Titus. Stealing art seems to be something emblematic of conquering new land. I think that in addition to having clear monetary value, it’s a sign of victory when you take what is most valuable to the enemy. The sad part of mass theft is that returning art or really any other stolen asset becomes very difficult because of the loss of life and loss of ownership records.
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Sydney Gamble
Dec 04, 2021
I think, like a lot of people, I had always imagined the Nazi plunder of art to be a large-scale act of simple theft. The way you discuss more underhanded "calculated taxation", etc. was eye-opening, and led so naturally to a discussion about the complexities of making things right in the 21st century.
You made such a clear and effective effort to make your historical subject matter more immediate to our contemporary times. Your inclusion of photographs continually reminded me of the realness and upheaval of the era immediately following the Second World War. But on a much more intimate scale, your story about Mr. Steigman put your subject matter in individual, human terms, and gave your audience a hint…
I think that the role of art theft in conquest is fascinating. This goes as far back as the times of the Romans where the sacking of Jerusalem was etched into Arch of Titus. Stealing art seems to be something emblematic of conquering new land. I think that in addition to having clear monetary value, it’s a sign of victory when you take what is most valuable to the enemy. The sad part of mass theft is that returning art or really any other stolen asset becomes very difficult because of the loss of life and loss of ownership records.
I think, like a lot of people, I had always imagined the Nazi plunder of art to be a large-scale act of simple theft. The way you discuss more underhanded "calculated taxation", etc. was eye-opening, and led so naturally to a discussion about the complexities of making things right in the 21st century.
You made such a clear and effective effort to make your historical subject matter more immediate to our contemporary times. Your inclusion of photographs continually reminded me of the realness and upheaval of the era immediately following the Second World War. But on a much more intimate scale, your story about Mr. Steigman put your subject matter in individual, human terms, and gave your audience a hint…