A few weeks ago, a book arrived in my mailbox. This is
not unusual as I order books often from my favorite small and independent
bookstores. This package looked different. It was wrapped differently and was
heavier than usual. As I took it inside, I was excited to see this new book of
mine. What had I ordered? What surprise gift would I find inside of the
wrapping? Once I pulled off the mailing attire, I realized what I had
ordered…months ago…many months ago. Maybe even a year ago?
Inside the wrapping I found the book, “The Art Front,” by
Rose Valland published by the Monuments Men and Women Foundation. I had
completely forgotten about my pre-order so long ago which was helping to
produce this book. I opened the book so gently, all 370 pages of it and perused
the contents which also included a section of photographs. I have to admit this
will become my book of the year. Last year’s favorite book was written by
Timothy Egan (a long time favorite of mine), “A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku
Klux Klan’s Plot to take over American and the Woman Who Stopped Them.” This
book is a fabulous read and a true story showcasing how one woman, Madge
Oberholtzer, made a difference in stopping the Klan.
So here I was holding in my hands another true story of
an amazing woman. Valland was born in southeast France. She was the daughter of
a blacksmith but was lured to Paris to study art and art history. In 1932 she
took a job in a small art museum near the Louvre Museum, the Jeu de Paume. This
job was simply an unpaid assistant, not even a curator.
On June 22, 1940 France began to fall under the forces of
Adolf Hitler. By now many collections
had already been moved out of the Louvre and other museums to protect the
magnificent pieces of art from the plundering Nazi’s. Everyone had left the
museums except for one woman: Rose Valland. She was small with round eyeglasses
and in her 40’s. She was not the typical spy for France, but she accepted the
responsibility. She was also fluent in German which would help her cause.
Her job was to catalogue what came in and what went in
and out. She was no threat to the Nazi’s. The plan was for them to use her and
then kill her. She began to keep tract
of stolen paintings such as the great artists: Vermeer, Monet, Renoir, Degas,
Matisse. Because Valland was quite invisible and unimportant to the Nazis, they
supplied her with details. She kept tract of every detail. She lived during
France’s darkest hours. She had to stand by while a bonfire was lit was the
Nazi troops burning works of Picasso, Dali and other paintings declared
“degenerate” by Hitler.
Not only did she risk her life, but her knowledge was
insurmountable. She knew where many of the paintings were stored and were, in
fact, still there. Following the war, she became a Fine Arts Officer. Her
secret was not known for years.
Eventually she received the French Legion of Honor and
the Resistance Medal. She was one of the most honored women in French history.
She received the Medal of Freedom from the United States in 1948. Still, this
was not the end of her story. In the late 1950’s she began to write this book,
in French. It was her desire to see it published in English. It took years to
translate her book and was just recently published. I received one of the first
copies.
Her story is of great bravery. She knew any moment she
could be shot, but she carried on. Today the Monuments Men and Women Foundation
honor her. This foundation is still looking for art that was displaced around
the war. How do I know that? I became a member of the foundation when I taught
the book, “Monuments Men” to one of my early Trine classes. Every now and then
an art piece will turn up and be returned to the museum.
I feel a great deal of gratitude towards Rose Valland for
her bravery and her exceptional intelligence in outsmarting the Nazi’s. The
book I hold in my hands is a history book in which one woman saved art for the
coming generations.
If you are interested in joining, please go to www.mmwf.org for
more information or to order the book.
Thank you, Rose.
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