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Raphaël Falk, the great nephew of Armand Isaac Dorville, the original owner, shakes hands with Ackland Art Museum director Katie Ziglar during the ceremony. Falk traveled from France to acquire the painting. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill) via unc.edu
UNC’s Ackland Art Museum often celebrates when they acquire new works, but this week they’re celebrating after getting rid of one. “The Studio of Thomas Couture” had been a prized painting in the Ackland’s collection since 1972, but officials gave it away after learning about the painting’s history. It had been owned by Armand Isaac Dorville, a Jewish art collector in France – but when Dorville’s family sold it in 1941 to raise money to escape the Nazis, fascist collaborators took the money and sent the family to a concentration camp. Now, Dorville’s heirs are trying to recover his collection, and Ackland officials were happy to oblige: they returned the painting in a ceremony this month, becoming the first U.S. museum to return an artwork to the family.
Aaron spoke with Ackland director Katie Ziglar and art curator Dana Cowen.
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