London. A painting by the heirs of Czech textile factory owners was recovered and will be auctioned at the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna on 7 December.  In the Wine Cellar by Italian artist Domenico Pennacchini (1860 – 1910) was spotted by Sage Recovery for sale at the Dorotheum in May 2009.  Researchers sent the Dorotheum a copy of the photograph that the family has and experts at the Dorotheum agreed that the photograph matched the Pennacchini watercolour that was up for sale.

The painting belonged to Max and Irma Sborowitz, who owned a large textile factory that made all of the coats for the Czech Army during World War I. The Sborowitz’s acquired a glorious collection of 19th and 20th century paintings and drawings from artists throughout Europe. They were forced to flee Czechoslovakia in 1939 after being warned by neighbours that the Gestapo were looking for them. One of the possessions that the Sborowitz’s escaped with included a photo album of 150 works of art they owned.

The Pennacchini watercolour will go on sale on 7 December and is expected to fetch between 2000 – 2500 Euros. Shauna Isaac, Managing Director of Sage Recovery said, “I’m delighted that we were able to come to an agreement with the Dorotheum and the vendor in such a quick and amicable manner. The Sborowitz family has been looking for their missing art collection for several years and are happy that some of the works are beginning to resurface.”

About Sage Recovery
Sage Recovery helps to recover objects that were looted during the Nazi regime and increase public awareness about this subject.

For more information, contact Shauna Isaac, s.isaac@sagerecovery.com, +44 (0)208 673 5973

Domenico Pennacchini, In the Wine Cellar