Court rejects injunction against German museum over painting

Henri-Edmond Cross (1856-1910), Regatta in Venice, painted 1903/04. Public domain image

BERLIN (AP) – A German court has rejected a bid by the heirs of a Jewish French art collector to seize a painting that a Houston museum has loaned to Germany.

A regional court near Berlin said Thursday it sees no grounds to grant the request by heirs of Gaston Levy to seize Henri Edmond Cross’ “Regatta in Venice.”

The painting was loaned by Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts for a show on the French artist at the Barberini Museum in Potsdam.

The Texas museum has said it “stands by its ownership” of the painting, which the heirs say was looted by the Nazis.

The Potsdam court ruled that the heirs aren’t entitled to sue the Barberini, which only has the painting temporarily.

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