What was the Art Market like during the years of WWII? Today, we are more aware of the Nazi thefts, we celebrate the find of a lost object and the success of restitution claims.

Yet, what happened to the art dealers who attempted to protect their collections or of the artists they helped to shield and support? And, which dealers were willing to collaborate with the Nazis in order to gain safety, prestige, financial reward or power? Join in examining the great art houses of Paris, the Wildenstein family, Gertrude Stein, Paul Rosenberg, Hildebrand Gurlitt and others who directed the fate of art.

This two-part lecture will examine the lives of those dealers as we peel back the veneer of staged auctions, forced sales and forged provenance. The impact of the actions by the dealers and collaborators continue to affect the art world to this day. (These lectures can be taken independently of each other.)

Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.