A artwork that was taken by the Nazis more than 80 years ago has finally been reunited with a woman who is 101 years old.

The mother has had a strong emotional attachment to the magnificent work of art for approximately six months,

but she has decided to put it up for auction in order to support her large family of grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Her father thought the 1683 artwork would be safe, but in the end, Nazis broke through the vaults and stole everything inside.

Nobody is certain what happened to the artwork once the actual conflict started on the continent.

The London-based Commission for Looted Art in Europe’s research revealed that it had been briefly on show at a Düsseldorf art gallery in the middle of the 1950s.

The following sighting was in Amsterdam in 1969, after which it returned to Germany in 1971 after being purchased by a private collector there.

It will be offered for auction at the Sotheby’s auction house in London on July 6; it is currently listed there with an estimate of $37,000 to $62,000 (£30,000 to £50,000).

Bischoff van Heemskerck admits feeling a little upset because it was obvious that she would associate the image with her wartime experiences.