If you’ve read my blogs in the past, you know that research into my book, Deadly Provenance, about the Nazi confiscation of art and a missing Van Gogh painting led me on a hunt for the missing artwork.  Along the way I crossed paths with many people in several countries who gave me advice and guided me to web sites and other contacts to pursue.  No luck to date.

I have not given up, however, and am now working with a dear friend who is German and has close contacts in Germany.  Happily, she will help me with the language barrier.  The trail has now led me to a “lost art” web site and the coordinator of archives in Magdeburg, a medieval city on the Elbe River in Germany.

At this juncture I have been asked by German officials whether I have authorization from the claimants.  These would be members of the Bernheim-Jeune family to whom the painting belongs.  I have tried several times to contact the Bernheim-Jeune family in both English and French, through their website (they still own an art gallery) but have had no response.  I will try to find other avenues to reach them.

I have also been fortunate to have made contact with two notable authors in this area.  Lynn Nicholas, author of “The Rape of Europa,” and Jonathan Petropoulos, author of several books about lost art, have been very helpful.  For the most recent updates on my search check out my web page: https://lynnekennedymysteries.com/the-hunt-for-the-missing-van-gogh/

As a writer, one dilemma I face is the all-consuming time spent marketing, which cuts into my writing time.  Now, another is this Van Gogh search.  Perhaps hunting for this painting falls into the marketing category since I’ve had quite a bit of publicity on it and done several talks and book-signings. The difference is that this is such a fascinating way to spend my time, while social media marketing and publicity are, well, not.  Here I am, stuck again.  Do I spend time reading, searching and researching for a lost Van Gogh?  Or writing my next book?

Why is nothing ever easy?