It was completed by the French painter Nicolas Poussin in the 17th century

Find a famous painting stolen by the Nazis from France

A painting by Nikola Busan was stolen by the Nazis in 1944. AFP

A 17th-century painting by the French painter Nicolas Poussin was found in Italy, stolen by the Nazis in France in 1944, and returned to its original owners, according to what the Italian gendarmerie announced yesterday.

This oil painting was stolen by German soldiers during their occupation of Poitiers in western central France, from inside the home of their legal owners, according to a gendarmerie statement.

The owners of the work began searching for it in 1946, and in 1947 it was included in the "Register of Stolen Assets in France" during World War II, according to the same source.

The investigation was re-launched last year after a Swiss woman, aged 98, and an American, aged 65, filed a complaint through their Italian lawyer.

A unit of the gendarmerie specialized in protecting cultural heritage succeeded in locating the painting, which was difficult to track its movements around Europe in the decades after it was stolen.

An Italian collector bought the painting in 2017 and resold it to an Italian colleague in the profession, who displayed it in 2019 in the Netherlands.

It was during this exhibition that a Dutch art expert residing in Italy was introduced to the painting.

This prompted the Italian gendarmerie to investigate the origin of the painting, eventually arriving at the home of the antiques collector near the city of Padua in northeastern Italy.

The painting was confiscated and returned to its legal owners, according to the statement, which did not give any details regarding the date or location of this return.

Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) is considered one of the great teachers of French classical painting, and he was known especially for his medium-sized paintings, which were intended for some French or Italian amateurs who remained loyal to his works throughout his life.

And he lived in Rome for long periods, and died there.

The search for painting began in 1946.

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news