Wool embroidery

Since 22 May 1942 Swiss National Museum, Zurich, acquired from Galerie Fischer; 9 May 1942–22 May 1942 Galerie Fischer, Lucerne; undated – 9 May 1942 Hans Wendland; [...]; first half of the 16th century, Rapperswil.

Provenance research: The wool embroidery offered by Theodor Fischer (1878–1957, Galerie Fischer, Lucerne) in April 1942 and acquired by the Swiss National Museum on 22 May 1942 was marked with the origin ‘from French trade’. However, the embroidery is not listed in the French looted art inventory (G.F.C.C. [Groupe français du conseil de controle]: Répertoire des biens spoliés en France durant la guerre 1939-45, 7 vols., Berlin 1947/48). Fischer purchased the wool embroidery in 1942 from Hans Wendland (1880 - around 1965), an art dealer who was active in France, Germany and Switzerland. Wendland was involved in various looted art transactions and traded, among other things, in objects that had been confiscated by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR). Against this background, it cannot be ruled out that the work was confiscated as a result of Nazi persecution.