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From Enemy Asset To National Showcase: France’S Seizure And Circulation Of The Matsukata Collection (1944-1958), Léa Saint-Raymond, Maxime Georges Métraux

Artl@s Bulletin

Sequestered by the French State as an "enemy asset" in 1944, Kojiro Matsukata’s collection was used as a national showcase through exhibitions until 1958. Few catalogues were transparent as to the works’ provenance from the collection. When we map and visualize this historical information, a significant contrast appears between the “real” circulation of artworks, as recorded in governmental archives, and the "official" circulation listed in catalogues. This discrepancy points to a propaganda effort in such a way as to bolster an artistic narrative that was key to French national pride, and studying it can further explain why the French decided …