The Art Newspaper

A rare work by Peter Paul Rubens has been restituted to the Friedenstein Foundation in Gotha, in the German state of Thüringen. The oil sketch Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (1621) was illegally sold, along with other treasures from the foundation’s collection, in the aftermath of the Second World War. It will soon be on permanent display at the Ducal Museum, part of the Friedenstein palace complex. Friedenstein’s collection once boasted a total of five sketches by Rubens from the same series. With the return of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, two remain missing: The Prophet Elijah on the Golden Chariot and Saint Augustine. These as well as Saint Gregory have been listed on the Lost Art Database since 2001. Tap the link in our bio to read more