In a jaw-dropping turn of events, Argentine police have launched an investigation into the heirs of a deceased Nazi after a long-lost 17th-century painting was spotted in a property advertisement—and then mysteriously vanished!

The artwork, believed to be the "Portrait of a Lady" by renowned Italian baroque artist Giuseppe Ghislandi, was identified by a Dutch newspaper, which highlighted its presence in a listing for a luxury home in the coastal city of Mar del Plata, Argentina.

This masterpiece has a dark history; it is thought to have been looted from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during World War II. Tragically, Goudstikker lost his life while attempting to flee the Netherlands as Nazi forces invaded.

The disturbing connection deepens. The property is linked to Friedrich Kadgien, a financial advisor to Adolf Hitler's right-hand man who was notorious for amassing stolen artworks from Jewish galleries throughout Nazi-occupied Europe. Kadgien fled to Argentina post-war and passed away in 1978.

Now, both Interpol and Argentine authorities are hot on the trail of this lost artwork. After the painting was initially identified in the ad, it was quickly removed from the listing, raising suspicions of foul play.

When police conducted a raid last week, they found nothing but a horse tapestry in the location where the painting had previously hung. Multiple searches of Kadgien’s estate and related properties failed to uncover any trace of the missing masterpiece.

Patricia Kadgien, Kadgien’s daughter, and her husband, Juan Carlos Cortegoso, have now been placed under house arrest as investigators pursue charges related to the painting's disappearance.

While their lawyer claims the couple will cooperate with authorities, prosecutors indicate that the sought-after artwork has not yet been returned.

Interestingly, the Kadgiens assert they are the rightful heirs of the artwork, maintaining that it was inherited.

Additionally, authorities have confiscated two other artworks from another daughter of Kadgien that date back to the 1800s, which will also be examined for potential links to other stolen pieces from World War II.

Goudstikker was once a prominent dealer of masterpieces from the Italian and Dutch 16th and 17th centuries, possessing over a thousand paintings when he fled, much of which was seized by leading German officials, including Gestapo's Hermann Goering.

After the war, the Dutch state recovered around 300 artworks, many of which were rightfully returned to Goudstikker’s heirs. However, countless others remain lost, scattered around the globe.

The Goudstikker family has made it their mission to reclaim their lost heritage, including this latest stolen gem, which is now listed on an international registry of missing artworks.