Presented By
A name-plate on the door of the house of Cornelius Gurlitt which stands in the well-to-do Aigen district on November 18, 2013 in Salzburg, Austria.
Joerg Koch—Getty Images

Cornelius Gurlitt, son of a Nazi-era art collector who amassed a stunning collection of modernist masterpieces, died on Tuesday at age 81, the New York Times reports.

Gurlitt died in his Munich apartment, according to his spokesman, who did not provide further details on the cause of his death. Gurlitt underwent surgery for heart problems last year.

Gurlitt’s collection of some 1,280 artworks were seized by German police last year during a tax evasion investigation. The collection includes priceless paintings and sketches by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall. Much of it was classified as “degenerate” art by the Nazis.

[New York Times]

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com.

You May Also Like
EDIT POST