A fake from the collection of the Reichsmarschall Goering

No, we are not talking about the artist Hermann Goering. The chief of the German Luftwaffe was not a painter and did not strive for this, in contrast to Adolf Hitler, who tried to become an artist in his youth. Goering had a personal museum of works of art, which came to him with gifts from the entire looted war of Europe. World-renowned paintings, sculptures, numismatic collections, ancient weapons and other masterpieces hung, stood, lay, and were stored in his luxurious mansion in Berchtesgaden. However, he bought some pieces of art, as he possessed astronomical amounts in different currencies, precious metals and jewelry.

Pictures of Jan (Johannes) Vermeer

So, in 1943, the Dutch banker Nidl, being an agent of Heinrich Goering and for his money, bought the painting “Christ and the Sinner” from the 17th-century craftsman Vermeer Jan Delftsky from the Amsterdam antique firm Goodsticker. The seller received one million 700 thousand guilders in cash, which was a huge fortune at that time. Of this amount, taking into account the commission, one million guilders earned the previous owner of the picture Han van Meeegeren, the owner of hotels, hotels and entertainment clubs in the capital of Holland, an artist of the early twentieth century.

The authenticity of the painting sold was witnessed by Leitwiler, the best Dutch specialist in art criticism, and after some time, by the venerable restorer van Bachemen. These specialists knew about the works of artists of their country, or almost everything. And who could mislead, let alone deceive, a Nazi leader who had unlimited power and a strong disposition.

"Christ and the Sinner" took one of the best places on the wall of Goering’s mansion. On Christmas, his “special museum” was visited by Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Bormann and other dignitaries of Nazi Germany. In the guest book that has been preserved to our time, there is a record of the German Fuhrer, which testifies that he, “as an artist”, admires the collection of works of art by the owner of the house and considers it the property of the entire Third Reich.

However, in April 1944, rumors reached the ears of Heinrich Goering that the great art critic Abraham Bredius, an authoritative specialist and fan of Dutch artists, the “discoverer” of Jan Vermeer, doubted the authenticity of several paintings by this painter. Including in the picture that was kept by the Nazi boss. Some perceived such statements of the scientist as quirks of an old man. After all, even in the 1930s, he himself authoritatively claimed that all Vermeer’s works known to the public of the country were real, and here, in his declining years, he recognized five of them as fake. This "fly in the ointment" in the "barrel of honey" no one took seriously. Except, as it turned out, Goering. He outfitted a group of Luftwaffe officers so that they would bring to Germany sellers of his paintings by the artist Meeegeren, antiquarian Goodsticker, art critic Bredius, experts Leitwiler and Bahemen. But it was too late, fascist divisions on all fronts, both from the east and the west, were crowded with Soviet troops and allied armies. Heinrich Goering embarked on an urgent evacuation of the Museum of Artistic Values. Fearing air raids, the Reichsmarschall reliably hid his property in railway cars in the mountain tunnels of southern Bavaria.

After the war, almost all of Goering’s values, with the exception of some, were discovered. The authorities of the Netherlands established which of its citizens was a collaborator during the war with the Nazi occupation. Among them was a millionaire, and part-time artist Meegeren, who sold the painting to the Nazi criminal Goering. Post-war laws for cooperation with the Nazis demanded only the death penalty for the accused. In order to evade responsibility and save his life, Meegeren admitted during the investigation that he falsified the painting “Christ and the Sinner” and sold it to Goering. In addition to this canvas, he forged four more paintings by Jan Vermeer and several paintings by Peter de Hoch, painters of the 17th century. All these works are also sold and are in private collections and museums of the country. Further proceedings and examinations fully confirmed the words of the forger. They saved his life, accused of fraud, but six months after exposing Meyegeren in prison, he died suddenly.

And his fake painting “Christ and the Sinner”, once owned by Heinrich Goering and having such an extraordinary story, is now valued at a lot of money.

Natalya Abdullaeva