A Swiss museum has reluctantly agreed to accept part of a billion-euro art bequest from the late Cornelius Gurlitt, a German recluse whose secret collection included masterpieces looted from their Jewish owners by the Nazis.

Germany sought to calm a row over art looted during the Nazi era by posting images online of 25 paintings including long-lost works by Matisse, Delacroix and Rodin with the aim of finding their rightful owners.

A hoard of art found in Germany last year, some of which was apparently seized by the Nazis, included works ranging from Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Max Liebermann and dates back to the 16th century.