Scene of the Crime: Out of Control

Overview

The Austrian Bankverein causes a stir with an exhibition of watercolors by the famous Austrian painter Egon Schiele. Even before the opening, the paintings pique the interest of Ester von Steinhof, an American Jewish woman who travels to Vienna specifically to clarify her inheritance claim to two of the works. A scandal erupts at the vernissage: Dr. Manfred Reichelt, the lawyer she has retained, skillfully provokes the crowd, thereby winning the press over to his client's side. Although Mrs. von Steinhof does not approve of this tactic, it certainly achieves its intended effect—after all, various restitution claims regarding "Aryanized" looted art continue to occupy lawyers and courts to this very day. [Eisner]