# Search for painting looted by Nazis may have found more stolen art
The painting's turbulent history
Since its creation, the whereabouts of the
Adoration of the Shepherds by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder has been heavily disputed. Following its creation in 1564, the painting was looted by the
Nazi regime from a museum in
Belgium in the 1930s. During World War II, the painting, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, disappeared from a train and hasn't been seen since.
The search
For many years,
the general public and
art experts have been searching for the painting, to no avail. However, a recent discovery by
Art Recovery International and
Colnaghi, a gallery specializing in Old Master art, may have uncovered the long-lost painting in an
private collection in Japan. Though the company declines to specify the exact location of the painting or the owner to maintain the owner's privacy, they have shared that the piece is
in the early stages of authentication. If this painting is the original
Adoration of the Shepherds, it will be the
first major work by Bruegel the Elder to be rediscovered since World War II.
The authentication process
The
authentication process involves
x-raying the painting to
check under the paint for Bruegel's distinctive brushstroke,
carbon dating to ensure that the paint is from the
16th century, and
analysing the canvas to see if it matches the original
canvas weave from that time. Experts will also
compare the painting to Bruegel's other works to ensure that the piece is consistent with the painter's style and
iconography. If these tests prove conclusive, the painting will be
returned to its original home in Belgium.
