申論題

       When the Nazis occupied Poland during World War Two, a multitude of irreplaceable artistic treasures were plundered. Among them was Madonna with Child, a 16th Century painting attributed to the renowned Italian artist Alessandro Turchi. This masterpiece found its way onto a comprehensive inventory of hundreds of artworks confiscated from occupied Poland, meticulously compiled by a Nazi official overseeing the looting operations. 

       After an arduous journey, the painting has finally returned to its rightful home. Discovered in Japan, Madonna with Child was ceremoniously delivered to Polish authorities during an auspicious event held in Tokyo earlier this week. This momentous occasion marks one of the 600 looted artworks that Poland has successfully repatriated, although a (s) __1__ (ring) number of over 66,000 war losses remain unrecovered.

      In recent times, Poland has launched a resolute campaign, seeking the return of hundreds of thousands of artworks and cultural artifacts that still (l)__ 2__ (h) in obscurity due to their removal during the German and Soviet occupations in World War Two. Moreover, Poland has embarked upon a quest to secure (r)__3__ (ns) amounting to $1.3 trillion from Germany, compensating for the extensive damages inflicted during the brutal reign of the occupying Nazis. 

       Astute experts posit that the passage of time will likely unveil additional concealed artistic treasures, as unsuspecting heirs of looted artworks unwittingly attempt to sell these valuable pieces, (o)__4__ (s) to their historical significance. It is believed that Madonna with Child was transferred to Germany in 1940, amidst the malevolent Nazi occupation of Poland, during which they callously pillaged artworks belonging to Jewish families, preceding their horrific (d)__5__ (e). 

       The painting was meticulously cataloged as one of the 521 artworks held captive in occupied Poland, documented by Kajetan Mühlmann, a Nazi official entrusted with the task of overseeing the systematic art looting. Subsequently, it (r)__6__ (ed) in the 1990s when it was put up for auction in New York. However, the anticipated sale in January of the preceding year was abruptly halted by Polish authorities who astutely recognized the painting. After confirming its (i)__7__ (t) origins, the auction house and the painting's owner mutually agreed to its repatriation,

culminating in an official handover ceremony conducted in Tokyo on Wednesday. 

       The retrieval of masterpieces like Madonna with Child serves as a (b)__8__(n) of pride, revitalizing Poland's artistic heritage, as expounded by the erudite Polish art historian Natalia Cetera. Cetera emphasized that Poland suffered the loss of invaluable artworks, including those crafted by illustrious luminaries such as Rembrandt and Raphael, as well as a pantheon of internationally acclaimed Polish masterpieces. She fervently highlighted the sense of pride evoked when artworks return to Polish collections, unveiling the oft-forgotten importance of Polish cultural heritage. Cetera accentuated the unyielding determination to preserve and commemorate their artistic legacy, painstakingly rebuilt after the ravages of war—a protracted struggle to regain international recognition.

       Cetera astutely observes a (p)__9__ (m) shift in recent years, as cultural heritage transcends into a universally cherished collective asset. Christopher Marinello, the visionary founder of Art Recovery International, possessing over three decades of experience in locating missing masterpieces, concurs, envisioning a future where the next generation will unearth more clandestine art treasures, bequeathed unknowingly by ancestors ignorant of their historical provenance.

      Marinello shares a compelling anecdote about a current case he is diligently pursuing: a man in Chicago contacted him, convinced that his grandfather had purloined a prized artwork from a German museum during World War Two. This heartfelt gesture underscores a (t)__10__ (n) in attitudes towards stolen masterpieces, as individuals opt to rectify past injustices rather than perpetuate legal quandaries.