The Lady Art Spy of the Nazi Era
Rose Valland — A French art historian who rescued art pieces from Nazi plundering
Source-Public Domain
Rose Valland was a French art historian who turned spy and rescued thousands of paintings and artwork from Nazi plundering during World War II. A woman who worked closely with other art restorers mainly from Britain and the USA and exhibited invaluable contribution to the restitution of cultural legacy and masterworks.
Though she was awarded the ‘Legion of Honor’ from France, it as only after twenty-four years of service in the art museums, she received the title of the “curator.”
The early life of Rose Valland
Rose Valland was born in Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs, France on November 1, 1898. She completed her degree in art history from École du Louvre in 1925. Despite her amazing academic credentials, she started a job as an assistant curator in Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris as an unpaid volunteer.
Nazi plundering and destruction of ‘Degenerate art’
Source-Public Domain
