A painting stolen from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during the Second World War has been discovered in the home of descendants of Hendrik Seyffardt, a Dutch general who commanded a volunteer unit aligned with Nazi Germany. The artwork, Portrait of a Young Girl by Dutch artist Toon Kelder, is believed to have been taken after Goudstikker fled the Netherlands in 1940, leaving behind more than one thousand artworks that were later looted and sold.

The case came to light when a descendant of Seyffardt contacted art detective Arthur Brand, saying he felt ashamed after learning the painting in his family’s possession had been looted. According to the family, the work had been passed down through generations, and they claimed they were unaware of its full history. Brand’s investigation linked the painting to a 1940 auction of Goudstikker’s collection, identifying it through a label and an inventory number on the frame.

Brand believes the painting was seized by a senior Nazi leader before being sold at auction to Seyffardt. Lawyers for Goudstikker’s heirs have confirmed the collector previously owned several works by Kelder that were included in the auction. The descendant who revealed the painting’s existence has said it should be returned to Goudstikker’s heirs, bringing renewed attention to unresolved cases of art looted during the war.