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Art in Crisis

By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

February 5, 2014

"The Ghent Altarpiece" by Jan van Eyck - The altarpiece suffered significant damage after being stored in a salt mine during the war. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

Michelangelo's "Madonna of Bruges" - This sculpture was smuggled out of Belgium by German soldiers during WWII. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

"The Night Watch" by Rembrandt van Rijn - At the beginning of the war, this iconic work of the Dutch Golden Age was removed from its normal place in the galleries of the Rijksmuseum and stored for its own protection. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

"Litzlberg on the Attersee" by Gustav Klimt - The Jewish owner of this painting died in Łódź Ghetto, the second largest ghetto in Poland. The painting was taken from her home and sent to Salzburg. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

"Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" by Gustav Klimt - Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I," which was seized by the Nazis after its owner left Austria in the wake of the Anschluss. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

"The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci - The mural sustained damage during the war when the building in which it was housed was bombed. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

Michelangelo's "David" - The iconic Renaissance sculpture was encased in bricks during the war to help shield it from damage. By Courtesy Wikimedia commons

As the Nazis advanced across Europe, they seized hundreds of thousands of cultural objects from the territories that came under control. Still other works had to be hidden away or encased in bricks to prevent damage or theft. Here is a gallery of some of the most famous works of art affected by the conflict.

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Art in Crisis

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