Rose Valland’s Memoir Gets First English Translation

Press Kit

DALLAS, TX – The Monuments Men and Women Foundation is proud to announce the publication of the first English translation of the World War II memoir of Monuments Woman Rose Valland. 

Rose Valland, The Art Front (Coming Fall 2024)

The Art Front: The Defense of French Collections 1939–1945, originally published in 1961 as Le front de l’art: Défense des collections françaises 1939–1945, is Rose Valland’s personal account of the efforts to protect hundreds of thousands of works of art in French museums from the destruction of war, including Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, Mona Lisa. Her book, which was the source material for the 1964 Academy Award® nominated film The Train, focuses on the four-year period when Rose worked at the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris, risking her life to spy on the Nazi looting operation. 

Translated by Rose Valland expert and art historian Ophélie Jouan, The Art Front will feature an introduction by Foundation founder and chairman, Robert M. Edsel, also #1 NYT bestselling author and world-leading expert on the Monuments Men and Women, and will include almost one hundred images, bringing a new visual element to the heroism of this warrior of the arts.  

“Rose Valland’s story is an unparalleled testament to her courage and unwavering commitment to the preservation of the art and culture of France,” said Anna Bottinelli, president of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation. “It was Rose Valland’s long-held wish to see her memoir published in English. The Monuments Men and Women Foundation couldn’t be more proud to make that wish come true. This is another important accomplishment in the Foundation’s ongoing mission to honor the legacy of these heroes. We wish to thank the early support of individuals and organizations, in particular Christie’s and its CEO, Mr. Guillaume Cerutti, whose generosity has helped make this publication possible.”

“As a global auction house with strong connections to France, Christie’s is honored to support the publication of Rose Valland’s memoir in English by the Monuments Men and Women Foundation. Rose Valland’s acts of heroism speak to a collective sense of justice and deserve to be widely shared. We also want to mark our admiration and gratitude to a woman who continues to inspire all those who love the arts and who, like Christie’s, are committed to the field of restitution,” said Mr. Cerutti.

Etch your name in history. With a donation of just $25, you may add your name to this list of supporters and be recognized in the acknowledgements section of the book. Donations can be made to the www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/support/the-art-front.

Pre-orders are available now, exclusively through the Monuments Men and Women Foundation’s Online Store.

The Art Front: Defense of French Collections 1939–1945 will be released in Fall 2024. About Monuments Men and Women Foundation The Monuments Men and Women Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising global awareness about the importance of respecting and preserving our shared cultural heritage. It is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal for its work honoring the historic achievements of the Monuments Men and Women and completing their mission to right the wrongs of the Nazi looting machine. The Monuments Men and Women Foundation works with veterans, their family members, and others to identify the objects and return them to their rightful owner. Using its super partes role, the Foundation acts on behalf of the art or cultural object in question, without favoritism, without an agenda. For more information, www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org.

###

For media inquiries, please contact:

Shelby Landgraf, 979-877-9515

shelby@monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org