France restores Nazi-stolen Degas drawing to Jewish owners

Late 19th century sketch of three ballerinas restituted to daughter of Maurice Dreyfus, who never mentioned piece was taken by Germany

By Thomas Adamson 10 May 2016, 4:35 am

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French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay, left, and Viviane Dreyfus daughter of the late Maurice Dreyfus pose next to the late 19th century drawing "Trois danseuses en buste" by Edgar Degas, as she listens to the speech of French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay in Paris, France, Monday, May 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

PARIS (AP) — France has restored to its rightful owners a drawing by Edgar Degas that was stolen by the Nazis from its Jewish owner in 1940.

In a moving ceremony in Paris on Monday, Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay said that “Trois danseuses en buste” — a late 19th-century charcoal sketch of three ballerinas — was found in 1951 in a cupboard in the Occupation-era German Embassy. It had since remained unclaimed in the Louvre.

Viviane Dreyfus accepted the drawing for her father, Maurice, who died in 1957 without ever speaking of the lost work.

She said she was “extremely touched,” especially because she didn’t know the work existed.

There are 2,000 unclaimed works sitting in French museums, of which at least 145 were stolen by the Nazis.