Jennifer Lesieur

Between 1940 and 1945, Rose Valland (1898-1980), a modest employee of the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris, was instrumental in the restitution of works of art confiscated by the Nazi occupiers from Jewish families after the war. Historian Jennifer Lesieur reveals the extraordinary destiny and courage of a woman who did everything to appear ordinary.

No one noticed this unassuming employee when, in 1940, the organization in charge of confiscating works of art owned by Jewish families deposited 400 crates at the Jeu de Paume museum. 100,000 priceless works, from which Marshal Goering made an initial selection for his personal collection.

Outraged, Rose Valland "howled in silence" in this museum run by the Gestapo. She became a spy in spite of herself, discreetly noting arrivals, the references of the paintings stored and exhibited, those of their owners and their destination. By the time of the Liberation, 60,000 of these paintings had been located and 45,000 returned.