A Conversation with the Louvre’s Art Sleuth

Referred to as the Musée du Louvre’s own art sleuth by the New York Times, Dr. Polack has been the public face of the Museum’s efforts to return artwork that was stolen during World War II by the Nazis. The Louvre is currently the steward of over 1,700 works of art that have been identified as looted; and as a member of the Musées Nationaux Récupération—a French governmental organization dedicated to identifying the rightful owners of these stolen objects—it has sought to find and encourage the descendants of the works’ original owners to reclaim their inheritance.

Dr. Polack was selected as the third-annual LA Resident so that she can continue this essential research by reviewing auction records stored in the Provenance Index at the Getty Research Institute. During the program, Dr. Polack will discuss her research as well as the larger repatriation movement with Sandra van Ginhoven, the Head of the Provenance Index at the Getty. The program was moderated by fellow Getty scholar, Rachel Rivenc, and followed by a celebratory reception.