by Vincent Noce
The announcement by French Premier Minister Jean Castex concerning the State’s proposal to return 12 works, held in national collections, to the heirs of Armand Isaac Dorville, nearly 80 years after the sale of his estate, has caused some confusion in the French press. The Premier Minister has in fact endorsed the recommendation of the CIVS (Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Spoliation), which clearly rejected the principle of restitution, considering that the sale of the estate in 1942 “was not spoliatory”. The controversy sparked by this iconic case is thus far from resolved. Read more
