German recluse`s `Nazi art trove` bigger than first thought

Munich: Around another 60 artworks, including pieces by Monet and Renoir, have come to light at the Austrian home of an elderly German recluse whose earlier discovered art hoard is suspected to contain Nazi-looted works.

The latest pieces were found at the property in Salzburg belonging to Cornelius Gurlitt, his spokesman said today, just months after the art world was rocked by news of a spectacular trove of more than 1,400 works unearthed at his German home in 2012. A first inspection indicates there is no Nazi loot -- artwork that the fascist regime stole from Jewish owners or bought from them cheaply under duress -- among the latest discovery, spokesman Stephan Holzinger said. "More works were located in Cornelius Gurlitt`s house in Salzburg," he said in a statement. "They are more than 60 works, including by Monet, Renoir and Picasso," the statement added, not giving any information about their value. The Salzburg-found works have been stored safely to avoid theft, it said. "At the request of Cornelius Gurlitt, these works are being examined by experts as to whether they include possibly stolen art. A preliminary assessment based on an initial screening did not substantiate such a suspicion," it added. The Gurlitt case first made headlines late last year when it emerged that investigators had found more than 1,400 artworks in his Munich flat, including long-lost works by masters including Matisse and Chagall.