Looking for Owners

On display in Israel for the first time, were fifty-three paintings by major European artists from the collection known as MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération) from France, including works by Paul Cézanne, Jean- Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Aelbert Cuyp, Edgar Degas, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and Claude Monet. Organized jointly by the Museums of France and the Israel Museum, this exhibition focused on the complex history behind the MNR holdings - which were taken away from France during the Second World War and are held today in custody by the French National Museums - and on the research conducted over the last decade to trace their history of possession and to identify rightful ownership.