Leonardus Nardus

Leonardus Nardus (5 May 1868 – 12 June 1955) was a Dutch fencer, impressionist painter and art collector of Jewish origin whose considerable collection was looted by the Nazis.[1] He won a bronze medal in the team épée event at the 1912 Summer Olympics.[2] Nardus had connections to the chess world as well.[3]

Leonardus Nardus
Personal information
NationalityDutch
Born(1868-05-05)5 May 1868
Utrecht, Netherlands
Died12 June 1955(1955-06-12) (aged 87)
Tunisia
Sport
SportFencing,Chess
Medal record
Men's fencing
Representing  Netherlands
Olympic Games
1912 StockholmÉpée, Team

Art collection and looting by Nazis

In addition to being a world class athlete, Nardus was an important art collector. His collection included Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, Rubens, Botticelli, Goya, Turner, and Vélasquez among others.[4]

Nardus left his art collection, estimated at 150-160 artworks, with a friend for safekeeping. However, the collection was seized by the Nazis, because Nardus and the friend whose name was Arnold van Buuren were Jewish.[5] Van Buuren, was deported along with his wife to Sobibor and perished on 23 April 1943.[6]

Botticelli's Mary and the Child, John the Baptist and an angel, seized in 1942, was recognized as Nazi loot and restituted to Nardus' descendants in 2014.[7]

A Rubens that had been looted from Nardus was discovered in Bonn in 2014.[8] Most of the paintings have not been recovered.

References
  1. "Esse: il traque les oeuvres spoliées par les nazis". CharenteLibre.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  2. "Leonardus Nardus Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  3. “Léonardus Nardus” by Edward Winter
  4. "L'ex-banquier, Goering et les 160 tableaux de maître". SudOuest.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  5. "Nardus Collection". www.van-ham.com. Retrieved 30 January 2021. Formerly the precious tondo of Mary was part of the extensive Jewish collection Nardus. In 1940 the German Revision and Trust registered this painting and more than 150 other art objects as "property of the enemy" and finally the Nazis confiscated it in 1942
  6. "Nardus | Restitutiecommissie". www.restitutiecommissie.nl. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  7. "Botticelli in Cologne Auction". www.lootedart.com. Looted Art. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  8. "Un Rubens volé par les nazis à la famille Nardus enfin retrouvé à Bonn". Franceinfo (in French). 2 November 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2021.

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