Last stop: Nikolsburg Castle
A pastel sent away for safety vanished inside the Nazi storage network.
Fritz Gutmann sent works from his Dutch collection to Paris before the war. Some were stored under the name MUIR in an attempt to conceal their connection to a persecuted Jewish family.
On 6 November 1942 the remaining concealed works were seized from the warehouse and processed by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg. Combing the Hair was among them.
The pastel was sent to Nikolsburg in May 1944. Other Gutmann works eventually reached Altaussee and were recovered, but this Degas was not among them. Fritz and Louise Gutmann were both murdered during the Holocaust.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation
Scheduled program end: 2026-12-31
Offer advertised by an official source
Reward details & conditions
Up to US$5,000 is currently advertised for this specific work under the WWII Most Wanted Art program. New, non-public information must be submitted directly to the Foundation and lead to physical and legal recovery by the owner. Payment is conditional, may be shared and is determined by the Foundation. This is not a guaranteed payment or an offer by ArtTraceX. The program is scheduled to end on 31 December 2026, unless ended earlier.
Payment and eligibility are governed by the reward provider’s conditions.Artwork Details & DocumentationIdentification, ownership history and supporting records
Combing the Hair
- Artwork title
- Combing the HairMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Maker / attribution
- Edgar DegasMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Materials & technique
- PastelMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Measurements
- 33.10 × 41.30 cm (13.03 × 16.26 in.)Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Creation date / period
- c. 1890–1895Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
Not documented in this record: object type · inscriptions & markings · distinguishing features · subject.
Documented ownership history
- Before 1942
Fritz Gutmann collection; entrusted to Paul Graupe and stored in Paris.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked - 1942-11-06
Confiscated from the Wacker-Bondy warehouse by the ERR.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked - 1944-05
Transferred to the Nazi repository at Schloss Nikolsburg; subsequently unlocated.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
Only stages supported by the cited sources are shown. This list is not a complete chain of ownership.
Identification details follow the Object ID categories where documented. Ownership history is recorded separately; this documentation is not an authentication or a certificate of ownership.
Documentary sources
An original ArtTraceX synthesis. Sources checked .