Finally back!
News from 09/23/2025
On September 23, the Belgian House of Representatives returned a painting by Friedrich Nerly to the SPK. It belonged to the collection of the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Old National Gallery of the Berlin State Museums) and had previously been considered a war loss.
The painting “SS. Giovanni e Paolo in Venice” is one of the most important works by German painter Friedrich Nerly (1807-1878) and depicts a view of the Basilica of Santi Giovanni in Venice. After intensive research by Sophie Wittemans, curator of the art collection at the “Palace of the Nation,” the seat of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, it was discovered that the painting was loaned by the Alte Nationalgalerie to the German Embassy in Brussels in 1936, from where it disappeared after World War II and ended up in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in the 1950s. She also discovered a signature and date by Nerly – well-hidden as an inscription on a gondola. The SPK's entry on lostart.de, where the painting was reported as missing, helped with the attribution.
On September 23, the important painting was handed over by Chamber President Peter De Roover to Gero Dimter, Vice President of the SPK, and Anette Hüsch, Director of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), in the presence of the German Ambassador to Belgium.
Gero Dimter, Vice President of the SPK said: "It is always a special moment when a work long believed to be lost returns. The SPK has not only restituted numerous works, but has also suffered painful wartime losses. We are therefore extremely pleased that the careful provenance research conducted by the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the decision of the Chamber President have resulted in us now being able to add one of these missing works back to our collection."
Also Anette Hüsch, director of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), explains: "The Alte Nationalgalerie is delighted about this surprising return! It is an extremely generous gesture on the part of the Belgian Parliament, inspired by a spirit of friendship. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the many committed individuals on the Belgian side who wanted this return and made it happen. Nerly's work is something of an early birthday present for the Alte Nationalgalerie: it had a place in the collection for a long time when our museum opened on Museum Island in 1876. Next year, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its building, the Alte Nationalgalerie will be the focus of attention on Museum Island – and the work will once again be one of our treasures!"
Links for additional information
- Press Release “Restitution eines verschollenen Gemäldes an die SPK” (in German, 23/09/2025)
- Entry on lostart.de