Art + Law Colloquium Case Study: Cranach Painting at the North Carolina Museum of Art
February 18, 2026
A beloved Cranach painting at the North Carolina Museum of Art was accused of being looted by the Nazis. During this event, Professor Gerhardt described the issues at stake and the evidentiary trail that led to an unusual model for resolving the dispute.
About the Speaker:
Deborah R. Gerhardt joined the Carolina Law faculty in 2009 and serves as the Paul B. Eaton Distinguished Professor of Law. She specializes in intellectual property law, with a focus on the intersection of law and creativity. Gerhardt teaches Art Law, Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Law and Trademark Law. In 2018, Gerhardt was awarded UNC’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction. Gerhardt has written many influential essays and articles on copyright, trademark, entrepreneurship, and art law. Her current scholarship focuses on arts leadership, public memory, nontraditional trademarks, and the copyrightability of works created using artificial intelligence. From 2022- 2025, Gerhardt served as a member of the USPTO’s Trademark Public Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the faculty at UNC, Gerhardt clerked for the Honorable Judge John M. Manos in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and practiced at Jones Day Reavis & Pogue in Cleveland, Ohio.
