Government of The Netherlands Returns Brueghel Work to Max Stern Estate

Nazi-looted Painting Recovered From Noordbrabants Museum

MONTREAL, November 17, 2010 - Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, acting on behalf of the
executors of the Estate of Dr. Max Stern and its three university
beneficiaries (Concordia, McGill University/Montreal, Hebrew
University/Jerusalem) announces the restitution of another Old Master
painting belonging to the Jewish art dealer's collection. "Allegory of Earth
and Water," by Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601-1678), was discovered to have
been looted by the Nazis in the period surrounding World War Two.

The Brueghel was returned today during a ceremony held at The Hague at
the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage. The painting will be placed
on exhibition next month at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

In 2005, the Holocaust Claims Processing Office (HCPO) of the New York
State Banking Department discovered that the Brueghel was listed in the
database of The Netherlands government's Origins Unknown Agency - which
investigates the ownership history of paintings held in the Dutch national
collection. The HCPO submitted a claim to The Netherlands' Ministry of
Education, Culture and Science, which referred it to the country's
Restitutions Committee.

The Committee's fact-finding investigation revealed that after the
painting had been removed from Dr. Stern's possession in the 1930s, it
surfaced a short while later with Jan Dik Jr., a Dutch art dealer who acted
as a middleman for the Nazis. From Dik, the painting went to the Hamburg
Kunsthalle museum. The Allies recovered the Brueghel and transferred custody
of the painting to The Netherlands. The painting was most recently on display
at the Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch.

The Max Stern Art Restitution Project is spearheaded by Concordia through
the office of Dr. Clarence Epstein, working in close collaboration with the
HCPO, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) and INTERPOL.

Media Contact: Dr. Clarence Epstein, Director, Special Projects/Cultural
Affairs , Office of the President, Concordia University:
Clarence.epstein@concordia.ca

On the Web:

    - Restitutions Committee recommendations
    www.restitutiecommissie.nl/en

    - Max Stern Art Restitution Project: maxsternproject.concordia.ca/

    Source:
    Fiona Downey
    Media Relations Advisor
    Concordia University
    Tel.: +1-514-848-2424 ext. 2518
    Mobile: +1-514-518-3336

Fiona Downey, Media Relations Advisor, Concordia University, Tel.: +1-514-848-2424 ext. 2518, Mobile: +1-514-518-3336