Federico Gentili di Giuseppe was a Jewish businessman of Italian origin with a passion for art. On his death in 1940, he bequeathed a collection of 150 paintings to his two children, Marcel and Adriana, who had become naturalised French citizens. In 1941, Maître Moulin auctioned off these paintings under questionable circumstances. This marked the beginning of a legal battle waged by the Gentili di Giuseppe heirs, which was to last nearly 50 years.