French Painting Looted during WW2 Looks for Owner

Philippe Hansch, director of the World Peace Center, presents the painting by the French painter Nicolas Rousseau in Verdun, France on Aug. 17, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Philippe Hansch, director of the World Peace Center, presents the painting by the French painter Nicolas Rousseau in Verdun, France on Aug. 17, 2020. (AFP Photo)
TT
20

French Painting Looted during WW2 Looks for Owner

Philippe Hansch, director of the World Peace Center, presents the painting by the French painter Nicolas Rousseau in Verdun, France on Aug. 17, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Philippe Hansch, director of the World Peace Center, presents the painting by the French painter Nicolas Rousseau in Verdun, France on Aug. 17, 2020. (AFP Photo)

A drawing by French painter Nicolas Rousseau is back in France in a bid to trace its rightful owners after it was looted during WW2.

The work is currently on display with a sign calling whoever recognizes it or knows its owner, to contact the authorities.

The 19th century drawing was returned to France, to its rightful owner after being returned by the son of the German soldier who took it on orders.

The small untitled artwork is exhibited at the World Centre for Peace, Liberty and Human Rights in the northeastern town of Verdun. Next to it hangs a sign: "If you recognize the landscape or have any information about this painting, we would be grateful if you would let us know."

Over the last two weeks, it has hung in the lobby of the center, which receives around 60,000 visitors a year, in hope that it will nudge someone's memory and lead the painting back to its owners or their heirs.

Philippe Hansch, the center's head, went to fetch the painting from Berlin at the beginning of August and brought it back by car. "We wanted it to be immediately accessible to visitors when they walk in and free of charge," Hansch said.

In the artwork, a figure sits on a riverbank under cloudy skies, surrounded by tall trees and with a village off in the distance.

Rousseau was a member of the Barbizon school of painters, who embraced naturalism in art.

According to Hansch, its true value goes far beyond its market value of 3,000 to 5,000 euros (2,700 to 4,500 sterling pounds).

"The painting is a big symbol of Franco-German friendship and allows the history of World War II to be told with fresh eyes from the French side and German side," he added.



Heatstroke Alerts Issued in Japan as Temperatures Surge 

A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)
A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20

Heatstroke Alerts Issued in Japan as Temperatures Surge 

A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)
A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)

Sweltering temperatures prompted heatstroke alerts in multiple Japanese regions on Wednesday, with dozens of people seeking emergency medical care in the capital Tokyo.

The hot weather was headline news in the country, which last year experienced its joint warmest summer ever as climate change fueled extreme heatwaves around the globe.

Record temperatures were logged in 14 cities for June, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, while in central Tokyo the mercury hit 34.4 degrees Celsius (94 Fahrenheit).

Doctors treated at least 57 people for heat-related malaise in the capital on Wednesday, adding to the 169 people seen on Tuesday.

At least three heat-related deaths were reported in other parts of the country this week.

Some Tokyo residents wore heat-repellent clothing to beat the high temperatures, like Junko Kobayashi, 73, who showed AFP her cooling scarf.

"I soak it in water and then wrap it around my neck. It feels refreshing. And I use this umbrella too. It blocks the light and heat so it feels cooler," she said.

Other elderly residents said they were trying to take it easy so as not to risk heatstroke, while 80-year-old Naoki Ito said he was making sure to regularly drink water.

"I don't need to take a big gulp, just a small sip here and there. It's important to remember that," Ito said.

Every summer, Japanese officials urge the public, especially elderly people, to seek shelter in air-conditioned rooms to avoid heatstroke.

Senior citizens made up more than 80 percent of heat-related deaths in the past five years.

Japan is also experiencing a record influx of tourists, with foreign visitors up 21 percent year-on-year in May.

"It's been pretty stinking," said 31-year-old Australian tourist Jack Budd, who was trying to find shade whenever possible with his travel partner.

"The breeze is quite warm so it's hard to get out of it unless you go inside," he said.