When Austria was taken over by Hitler that year, Mr. Gomperz fled Vienna and left the art collection behind with his niece. In 1940, Nazis confiscated the collection, including the Cranach painting, which was then acquired by a Nazi leader in Austria, Baldur von Schirach.After the war, Mr. Schirach was tried with other Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and sentenced to 20 years in prison. In the 1950's, the painting showed up on the New York art market and was eventually purchased by the Beverly Hills collector who, seemingly unaware of its history, donated it to the North Carolina Museum of Art. Museum officials say they think she was an acquaintance of the director at the time.(English)
