OU Reaches Settlement With Family Of Stolen Jewish Art

The University of Oklahoma announced it has reached a settlement with the Meyer family of Paris over the ownership of a stolen Jewish painting being displayed at the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art in Norman. 

State Rep. Paul Wesselhöft (R-Moore), former state Rep. Mike Reynolds and University of Oklahoma student Eric Sundby, president of the Holocaust Remembrance and Restitution Society at OU, will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 432B at the state Capitol to discuss the settlement.

4/28/2015 Related Story: New Developments Surrounding Allegations Of Stolen Art At OU

News9.com plans to live-stream the news conference. Stay with us for the latest updates. 

News 9's Alex Cameron spoke with Pierre Ciric, the attorney who represents Leone Meyer, the French woman who sued OU two years ago in the hopes or recovering a valuable painting stolen from her family by the Nazis during World War II. The painting in question is “Shepherdess Bringing In Sheep,” an 1886 work by French impressionist artist Camille Pissarro. 

Ciric said the settlement agreement was signed on Monday. The settlement recognizes Leone Meyer’s rights to the painting as rightful heir, and her prior ownership of the painting.

Within a few weeks, the title will be transferred to Meyer 100 percent, and then some time this summer, it will be transferred to a yet-to-be-determined museum in France, where it will stay for five years.

Ciric said the painting will then alternate between the Fred Jones Museum at OU and other French museums. 

The settlement was achieved through mediation and does not involve any payments.

Ms. Meyer, who is in France currently, said she is grateful to the public for their support, and grateful to have achieved the recognition of prior ownership, title and happy that the painting will be on public display.

Settlement Fact Sheet: