A Jewish family from France, who were compelled to sell their artworks at significantly reduced prices to survive during the Nazi occupation of World War II, and a Parisian gallery owner who lost her possessions during the same period, have seen their artworks displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The museum currently holds these pieces as part of its collection, but new efforts are underway to return them to their original owners or their descendants. The artworks in question include a collection of paintings that were sold under duress during the 1940s. At that time, many Jews in France faced extreme hardship, including the loss of property and livelihoods. The family, unable to maintain their financial stability, sold their paintings at a fraction of their value. Similarly, the Parisian gallery owner, whose business was disrupted by the war, lost much of her personal and professional property, including some of these artworks. Two unprecedented legal and procedural steps, revealed by the French newspaper Ouest-France, are being taken to return the artworks to their rightful owners. These procedures involve tracing the provenance of the artworks and verifying their original ownership. This process is complicated by the passage of time and the challenges of documenting ownership during the war years. The efforts to return these artworks are part of a broader movement to address the historical injustices of the Nazi era, particularly regarding the looting and displacement of cultural property. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has acknowledged the importance of these efforts and is working with legal experts and historians to ensure that the artworks are returned to their rightful heirs, if possible.