Tate Britain is on track to return a 17th century artwork to the relatives of a Jewish Belgian art collector from the 17th century.
The painting by Henry Gibbs, entitled Aeneas And His Family Fleeing Burning Troy, was confiscated from Samuel Hartveld’s residence during the German occupation.
Requests for the return of items taken during the Nazi period from the UK’s public collections are evaluated by the Spoliation Advisory Panel.
The panel concluded that the 1654 piece was “plundered as an act of racial persecution.”
On Saturday, the UK government announced that the heirs of Mr. Hartveld will be given the artwork.
He abandoned his art collection in Antwerp in May 1940 when he and his wife escaped Belgium.
Despite surviving the war, Mr. Hartveld was never reunited with his collection, with many of his paintings suspected to be housed in galleries across Europe.

The claim to retrieve the painting was initiated by the Sonia Klein Trust in May 2024.
Representatives of the trust, established by Mr. Hartveld’s heirs, expressed their profound gratitude for the decision to return the artwork.
“This decision unequivocally acknowledges the distressing Nazi persecution of Samuel Hartveld and recognizes that the painting, clearly identified as looted, belonged to Mr. Hartveld, a Jewish Belgian art collector and dealer,” the trustees added.
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Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, stated that assisting in the return of the artwork to its rightful owners is “a profound honor”.
Sir Chris Bryant, Arts Minister, commended the panel for its efforts “in reuniting families with their most cherished possessions stolen by the Nazis”.