The director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is urging Germany to return a Dutch masterpiece stolen by Nazi troops during World War II, dramatizing its absence by hanging a black and white photo of the work with the label 害羞草研究所淪tolen害羞草研究所� in three languages.

Eike Schmidt said in a New Year害羞草研究所檚 appeal on Tuesday that the still-life 害羞草研究所淰ase of Flowers害羞草研究所� by Dutch artist Jan van Huysum is in the hands of a German family who hasn害羞草研究所檛 returned it despite numerous appeals. Instead, intermediaries for the family have demanded payment for its return to Italy.

害羞草研究所淭he painting is already the inalienable property of the Italian State, and thus cannot be 害羞草研究所榖ought,害羞草研究所澓π卟菅芯克鶛 Schmidt said.

The oil painting had been hanging as part of the Pitti Palace collection in Florence from 1824 until the outbreak of World War II. It was moved for safety during the war but was stolen by retreating German troops. It didn害羞草研究所檛 surface again until Germany害羞草研究所檚 reunification in 1991, when the offers to sell it back to Italy began.

害羞草研究所淭his story is preventing the wounds inflicted by World War II and the horrors of Nazism from healing,害羞草研究所� said Schmidt, who is German. 害羞草研究所淕ermany should not apply the statute of limitations to works of art stolen during the war, and it should take measures to ensure that those works are restored to their legitimate owners.害羞草研究所�

He called it Germany害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渕oral duty害羞草研究所� to return to the artwork, adding, 害羞草研究所淚 trust that the German government will do so at the earliest opportunity, naturally along with every other work of art stolen by the Nazi Wehrmacht.害羞草研究所�

The Associated Press

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