On November 3, 2009, a loan agreement for the WPA painting Simplicity was signed by GSA’s Fine Arts Program Office to loan the painting to the St. Louis Art Museum for public display and effectively returns the painting to US Government control after being missing for thirty-seven (37) years.   The painting, valued at approximately $40,000, is of significant historical value.

On July 21, 2009, as part of the proactive investigation into the recovery of Works Progress Administration (WPA) artwork, investigators in GSA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Office received information regarding an upcoming auction of a WPA painting from GSA staff.  GSA authenticated the piece through the label as a WPA work of art that is subject to recovery and stated the painting was one of the paintings originally entered as lost/stolen in the FBI stolen art database.  The painting, Simplicity by WPA artist Eldzier Cortor was scheduled to be auctioned on October 15, 2009 by an auction house in Ohio.

After the painting was confirmed as being on the FBI stolen art list, GSA OIG agents contacted Cowan’s and received the name of the consignor.  The consignor was contacted and advised of the government’s ownership of the painting.  The auction house agreed to hold the painting until instructed to release it by GSA.  The Fine Arts Program worked with the auction house to find a suitable location for public display and arranged for the shipping of the painting.