More than four decades after the passing of Monuments Woman Captain Rose Valland (1898–1980), one of the great heroines of World War II, the Monuments Men and Women Foundation released the first-ever English translation of her 1961 memoir, The Art Front: The Defense of French Collections 1939-1945.

The quiet bravery of this warrior for the arts emerged during the German occupation of Paris. In late 1940, the Nazis commandeered the Jeu de Paume Museum and converted it into their looting headquarters for works of art being stolen from Jewish collectors and dealers. As a curator at the Jeu de Paume, Valland worked under the watchful eye  of the Nazis, all the while risking her life to secretly gather information about their looting operation. Her meticulous records about the tens of thousands of stolen works would later prove instrumental in their recovery, making her one of the most significant figures in the preservation of our shared cultural heritage during World War II.

​

During her lifetime, Valland tried to have her book translated into English; however the challenges of translation and distribution proved insurmountable. Our team’s mastery of the subject, with the invaluable input of art historian and Rose Valland expert, Ophélie Jouan, not only resulted in a faithful translation of Rose Valland’s text, but also provided a modern perspective that enables readers to appreciate the full context of the risks she took and the triumphs that resulted.

​

The Art Front includes an introduction by Foundation founder and chairman, Robert M. Edsel, world-leading expert on the Monuments Men and Women, and more than one-hundred images, maps, and a glossary.

​​​