Maurice Durand

Background
Maurice Durand operated a shop in Paris named Antiquitiés Scientifiques. He was also an art theft contractor; he had stopped stealing from legitimate owners himself and used others to do the stealing for him.

Durand paid a man to steal Portrait of a Young Woman while it was being restored for Julian Isherwood. When Durand examined the Portrait of a Young Woman he found a list of names and numbers adhered to the back of the canvas. He notified the party who had commissioned the theft that the painting had been destroyed. He brought the list of name and account numbers found hidden on the back of the painting to Hannah Weinberg. He never admitted to having the painting in his possession, but it showed up at a synagogue.