NEW ORLEANS — A stolen piece of art, created in 1865 by the famous Claude Monet, has been presented to the heirs of the original owners after originally being seized by the German Gestapo in 1940. The FBI’s Art Crime Team, along with its New Orleans and New York field offices, started an investigation years ago to return the stolen Monet art piece.
Multiple FBI teams and agents as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, presented the piece to the grandchildren of Adalbert and Hilda Parlagi on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
The investigation into finding the artwork stolen during World War II began in 2021 after the FBI received information from the Commission for Looted Art in Europe about the pastel on paper. The piece, called “Bord de Mer,” had been part of the Parlagi family’s collection before the Nazis seized it in 1940.
The Parlagi family had purchased the piece at an art auction in Austria in 1936. Just two years later, the Parlagis fled Austria because of the ongoing war and stored their possessions at a local shipping company, which were later seized by the German Gestapo.
The pastel later ended up for sale and was purchased at an auction by a Nazi art dealer. The artwork vanished after 1941 until 2016 when it was publicly seen at an exhibit in Paris.
In 2023, after the investigation started, the FBI found that the “Bord de Mer” was listed for sale at a Houston art gallery. Special agents from the Art Crime Team and detectives in New York reached out to the owners of the artwork, who were unaware of its history. After being contacted, the owners, Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Schlamp, voluntarily surrendered the piece and gave up their rights to ownership, which was “key to the successful resolution” of the case, the FBI reported.
“Nothing can excuse the hateful and heinous behavior of the past, but we are most grateful to the Schlamp family for their role in righting this wrong,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent Lyonel Myrthil.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana helped secure a consent judgment, which is a settlement or agreement between parties that does not place an admission of guilt on either party. The judgment was secured in May 2024 and full ownership of the Monet piece was awarded to the Parlagi heirs.
While the “Bord de Mer” has been rightfully returned, several other pieces of artwork were stolen from the Parlagi family in 1940. A signed Paul Signac watercolor from 1903, titled “Seine in Paris (Pont de Grenelle)”, was sold to the same Nazi art dealer as the Monet piece and is still missing today.
The FBI is still searching for that piece, which may be under another name now. For anyone who may have information, you are encouraged to contact the FBI’s Art Crime Program by email at NYArtCrime@fbi.gov. You may also submit tips online to tips.fbi.gov, call 1-800-CALL FBI (800-225-5324), or contact your nearest FBI field office.
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