List of stolen paintings

List of famous stolen paintings are valuable paintings that have been stolen and gained publicity. The paintings listed are from masters of Western art which are valued in millions of dollars. For a list of most expensive paintings, see List of most expensive paintings.

Famous stolen paintings

Painting Title, Artist Date stolen Location of theft Details Estimated value Reward
Landscape with Cottages by Rembrandt van RijnSeptember 4, 1972Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, CanadaA rare Rembrandt landscape stolen from the museum by armed robbers in 1972$1 million at the time; estimated in 2003 to have appreciated to $20 million $50,000
The Concert by Johannes VermeerMarch 18, 1990Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, United StatesThe largest art theft in world history occurred in Boston on March 18, 1990 when thieves stole 13 pieces, collectively and altogether worth $500 million, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Among the pieces stolen was Vermeer's The Concert, which is considered to be the most valuable stolen painting in the world. A reward of $5,000,000 is still offered for information leading to their return.Part of a $500,000,000 heist[1]$10,000,000
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt van RijnMarch 18, 1990Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, United StatesThe Storm on the Sea of Galilee is a painting of 1633 by the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt van Rijn that was in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, prior to being stolen on March 18, 1990. The painting depicts the miracle of Jesus calming the waves on the Sea of Galilee, as depicted in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is Rembrandt's only seascape. It is widely believed, because of the fourteen people in the boat, that Rembrandt painted himself in the boat along with the twelve disciples and Jesus.[2] The crewmember looking out towards the viewer of the painting has been suggested as being a self-portrait of Rembrandt.[2]Part of a $500,000,000 heist$10,000,000
Landscape with an Obelisk by Govert FlinckMarch 18, 1990Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, United StatesThe largest art theft in world history occurred in Boston on March 18, 1990 when thieves stole 13 pieces, collectively worth $500 million, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Among the pieces stolen was Landscape with an Obelisk, which had been attributed to Rembrandt. A reward of $5 million is still offered for information leading to their return.Part of a $500,000,000 art heist$10,000,000
Portrait of a Lady by Gustav KlimtFebruary 22, 1997?Galleria Ricci-Oddi, Piacenza, ItalyBelieved to have been stolen shortly before a special exhibition was planned at the gallery in Piacenza??
View of Auvers-sur-Oise by Paul CézanneDecember 31, 1999Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, EnglandView of Auvers-sur-Oise is a landscape painting by Paul Cézanne. It was stolen from the Ashmolean Museum on the night before the Millennium during a celebration of fireworks. The painting was never signed or dated by Cézanne because he thought of it as being unfinished.[3]$10[4],000,000[5]?
Poppy Flowers by Vincent van GoghAugust 2010Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, Cairo, EgyptPoppy Flowers (also known as Vase and Flowers and Vase with Viscaria) is a painting by Vincent van Gogh with an estimated value of $50 million[6] The painting, which is of a vase of yellow and red poppies, contrasted against a dark background is a reflection of Van Gogh's deep admiration for Adolphe Monticelli, an older painter whose work influenced him when first he saw it in Paris in 1886.[7] Egyptian officials erroneously believed they had recovered the painting only hours after its theft when two Italian suspects attempted to board a plane to Italy at Cairo International Airport.[8] The same painting had been stolen from the same museum on June 4, 1977, and was recovered ten years later[9] in Kuwait.[10] The painting is small, measuring 65 x 54 cm, and depicts yellow and red poppy flowers.[11] It is believed that van Gogh painted it in 1887, three years before his suicide.[9]$50–55,000,000[6] $10,000,000

Famous stolen paintings rumored to be destroyed or lost

PaintingTitle, ArtistDate stolenLocation of theftDetailsEstimated valueReward
Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence by CaravaggioOctober 16, 1969San Lorenzo in Palermo, SicilyThe Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence (also known as The Adoration) is a painting from 1609 by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. It was stolen on October 16, 1969 in Palermo, Sicily. The painting is large, measuring almost six square metres (actual size 268 cm x 197 cm) and hung above the altar. Probably because of its size, it was removed from its frame by the thief or thieves (two suspected) before being taken out of the church. After it was stolen, the Oratory was pillaged of other artworks, along with choir stalls of carved and gilded wood and benches inlaid with precious woods and mother of pearl.$20,000,000[12]?
Le pigeon aux petits pois by Pablo PicassoMay 20, 2010Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France Le pigeon aux petits pois (The Pigeon with Green Peas[13]) is a 1911 painting by Pablo Picasso.[14] It was one of five paintings stolen from the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris on May 20, 2010, which together are worth about €100 million ($123 million). The painting has supposedly been discarded, as the thief threw it in a trash container shortly after the theft. Unfortunately, the container was emptied before it was discovered where the painting could be found[13][15]$28,000,000[16]?
Still Life with Candlestick by Fernand LégerMay 20, 2010Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France Still Life with Candlestick (Nature morte au chandelier[13]) is a 1922 painting by Fernand Léger.[14] It was one of five paintings stolen from the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris on May 20, 2010, which together are worth about €100 million ($123 million). The painting has supposedly been discarded, as the thief threw it in a trash container shortly after the theft. Unfortunately, the container was emptied before it was discovered where the painting could be found[13][15]$28,000,000[16]?
The Just Judges by Jan van EyckApril 10, 1934Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, BelgiumThe Just Judges (145 × 51 cm) is the lower left panel of the Ghent Altarpiece, by Jan van Eyck or his brother Hubert Van Eyck. As part of the altarpiece, it was displayed at the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, until stolen during the night of April 10, 1934, possibly by the Belgian Arsène Goedertier (Lede, December 23, 1876 – Dendermonde, November 25, 1934). The bishop of Ghent received a ransom demand for one million Belgian francs. On November 25, 1934 the thief revealed on his deathbed that he was the only one who knew where the masterpiece was hidden, and that he would take the secret to his grave. Although several people have claimed to know its whereabouts, the painting has never been recovered and is now believed to be destroyed. The panel was replaced in 1945 by a copy by Belgian copyist Jef Vanderveken.Unknown[16]?
Harlequin Head (Tête d'Arlequin, 1971) by Pablo PicassoOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?
Reading Girl in White and Yellow (La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune, 1919) by Henri MatisseOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?
Waterloo Bridge, London (1901) by Claude MonetOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?
Charing Cross Bridge, London (1901) by Claude MonetOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?
Girl in Front of Open Window (Femme devant une fenêtre ouverte, also known as La Fiancée, 1888) by Paul GauguinOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?
Self-Portrait (Autoportrait, circa 1889-91) by Meyer de Haan (Meijer de Haan)October 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?
Woman with Eyes Closed (2002) by Lucian FreudOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[17][18][19]		Unknown?

Famous paintings plundered by the Nazis

PaintingTitle, ArtistDate takenLocationDetailsEstimated valueStatus
The Painter on His Way to Work by Vincent Van GoghApril 12, 1945Stassfurt salt mines art repository near MagdeburgListed as "missing" on Monuments Men Foundation 'Most Wanted' website. Property of Kulturhistorisches Museum in Magdeburg, Germany (formerly the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum)[20]inestimablemissing
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt1940sAustriaPortrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is a 1907 painting by Gustav Klimt. According to press reports it was sold for US$135 million to Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie in New York City in June 2006, which made it at that time the most expensive painting for about 4 months.[21] It has been on display at the gallery since July 2006. Klimt took three years to complete the painting. It measures 138 cm × 138 cm and is made of oil and gold on canvas, showing elaborate and complex ornamentation as seen in Jugendstil. Klimt was a member of the Vienna Secession, a group of artists that broke away from the traditional way of painting. Adele Bloch-Bauer, in her will, asked her husband to donate the Klimt paintings to the Austrian State Gallery upon his death.[22] She died in 1925 from meningitis. When the Nazis took over Austria, her widowed husband had to flee to Switzerland. His property, including the Klimt paintings, was confiscated. In his 1945 testament, Bloch-Bauer designated his nephew and nieces, including Maria Altmann, as the inheritors of his estate.[23]$135,000,000Returned to Maria Altmann, niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer. See main article Republic of Austria v. Altmann
Portrait of a Young Man by Raphael1940sPolandPortrait of a Young Man is a painting in oil on panel, probably from 1513 to 1514, by the Italian High Renaissance Old Master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino better known simply as Raphael.[24] The painting was plundered by the Nazis in Poland. The subject's identity is unverified, but many scholars have traditionally regarded it as Raphael's self-portrait. The facial features are perceived by specialists as compatible with, if not clearly identical to, the only undoubted self-portrait by Raphael in his fresco The School of Athens at the Vatican, identified as such by Vasari. If it is a self-portrait, no hint is given of Raphael's profession; the portrait shows a richly dressed and "confidently-poised" young man.[25] In recent times, a book about Nazi plunder by Lynn H. Nicholas and a documentary film by the same title, The Rape of Europa, suggested that if the painting were to reappear today, it would be worth in excess of US$100M.$100,000,000[26]Falsely reported to have been found 1 August 2012, the location is still unknown.
En Canot, by Jean Metzingerc. 1936Kronprinzenpalais, Nationalgalerie, BerlinEn Canot (shown here in black and white) was exhibited at the Kronprinzenpalais, Nationalgalerie, Berlin, where it had been housed since 1927. The work was acquired by the Nationalgalerie in 1936 (on deposit by the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Volksbildung), where it was placed on display in Room 5. It was later confiscated by the Nazis around 1936, displayed at the Degenerate Art Exhibition (Entartete Kunst) in Munich and other cities, 1937–38, and has been missing ever since$2,400,000Missing, presumed destroyed
Man with a Pipe, by Jean Metzinger1911-12Wriston Art Center Galleries, Lawrence University, WisconsinMan with a Pipe (shown here in black and white half-tone) has been missing from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin, since 1998 (between 27 July and 2 August), having disappeared while in transit on loan.[27]$2,000,000Missing

Recovered famous stolen paintings

PaintingTitle, ArtistDate stolenLocation of theftDetailsEstimated valueStatus
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci1911Musée du Louvre, Paris The Mona Lisa painting now hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The painting's increasing fame was further emphasized when it was stolen on August 21, 1911.[28] The Louvre was closed for an entire week to aid in investigation of the theft.[29]Assessed in 1962 at $100 million.[30] Adjusted inflation to the current day it would be worth $782 million although some would consider the painting priceless.Recovered in 1913 after the thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, attempted to sell it.
Saint Jerome Writing by CaravaggioDecember 29, 1984St. John's Co-Cathedral, VallettaStolen in 1984 and recovered in 1988. The painting was damaged after the burglars cut it out of its frame, and it was restored in 1990.Recovered 4 August 1988
Woman-Ochre by Willem de KooningNovember 27, 1985University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.Cut out of its frame shortly after the museum opened that day. Sketches of a couple believed to be responsible were distributed widely but they were never identified; the couple in whose home the painting was found after their deaths in the 2010s has been suspected. Currently being restored.[31] Insured for $400,000 at the time of theft; however the market value of similar de Kooning works had increased to above $100 million by the time it was recovered and the museum believes it is worth $160 million todayRecovered in 2017
The Boy in the Red Vest by Paul CézanneFebruary 10, 2008Foundation E.G. Bührle, Zürich, SwitzerlandThe Boy in the Red Vest is an 1894/95[32] painting (Venturi 681) by Paul Cézanne. It depicts a boy in traditional Italian attire. On February 10, 2008, the painting was stolen from Foundation E.G. Bührle in Zürich, Switzerland along with three other pieces.[33] It was the museum's most valuable painting.$91,000,000[34]Recovered.[35] The painting was recovered in Serbia on April 12, 2012.
Count Lepic and His Daughters by Edgar DegasFebruary 10, 2008Foundation E.G. Bührle, Zürich, SwitzerlandCount Lepic and His Daughters is an 1870 painting by Edgar Degas. On February 10, 2008, the painting was stolen from Foundation E.G. Bührle in Zürich, Switzerland.[33] Four paintings were stolen altogether with two of them being returned in 2008. Degas also painted Viscount Ludovic-Napoléon Lepic in the 1875 painting Place de la Concorde.[36]Part of a $162.5 million art heist[37][38]Recovered in Serbia in April 2012[39]
The Scream (Der Schrei der Natur) by Edvard Munch 1994
and
2004		 National Gallery, Oslo
and
Munch Museum, Oslo

The Scream has been the target of several high-profile art thefts. In 1994, the version in the National Gallery, Oslo was stolen. It was recovered several months later. In 2004, both The Scream and Madonna were stolen from the Munch Museum, and recovered two years later.

 $110,000,000Recovered
Self-portrait with Beret and Gathered Shirt (‘stilus mediocris’) by Rembrandt December 22, 2000 Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

The small self-portrait on copper by Rembrandt was stolen from Nationalmuseum in Stockholm along with Renoir's A Young Parisienne and Conversation in an armed robbery in December 2000. It was recovered in Copenhagen in 2005. Conversation was recovered in Stockholm a few months after the robbery and A Young Parisienne was recovered in Los Angeles in 2006.[40]

 $37,000,000Recovered in Copenhagen 2005.
Femme Assise by Henri Matisse July 1940 Paul Rosenberg, Paris

Henri Matisse's Femme Assise was one of around 450 paintings looted from the collection of Paul Rosenberg by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR). Missing for over 70 years, it was discovered in the Munich home of Cornelius Gurlitt in 2012 and later returned to Rosenberg's heirs.[41]

 n/aRecovered in Munich, 2012.
View of the Sea at Scheveningen by Vincent van Gogh December 7, 2002 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Part of a $30,000,000 art heist Recovered in Naples, September 30, 2016
Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen by Vincent van Gogh December 7, 2002 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Part of a $30,000,000 art heist Recovered in Naples, September 30, 2016
The Chorus by Edgar Degas 2009 Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France Part of a £700,000 art heist Recovered in Paris, 2018
The Gardener (or, Young Peasant) by Vincent van Gogh 19 May 1998 Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome Theft included two paintings by Van Gogh and one by Paul Cezanne Three paintings estimated combined value: $34 million Recovered by the Carabinieri Art Squad a few weeks later

See also

References

  1. ↑ Stolen, a documentary about the theft of The Concert, from the PBS website.
  2. 1 2 Goldfarb, Hilliard T. (1995). The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: A Companion Guide and History. Yale University. pp. 97–98. ISBN 0-300-06341-5.
  3. ↑ "Missing A Masterpiece? Call FBI's Art Crime Team". NPR.org. December 15, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Gardner Museum Doubles Reward For Stolen Art To $10M". CBS Boston. May 23, 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  5. ↑ ABC News. "The World's Most Valuable Missing Works of Art". ABC News.
  6. 1 2 "Egyptian authorities recover stolen Van Gogh painting". Outpost. June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  7. ↑ Guardian, "Stolen Van Gogh Still Missing" Retrieved August 26, 2010
  8. ↑ "Faulty alarms blamed for Van Gogh theft in Egypt". BBC News. August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  9. 1 2 "Van Gogh painting stolen in Cairo". BBC News. August 21, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Egyptian minister says Van Gogh picture still missing". BBC News. August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Egypt Court Jails Officials Over Van Gogh's Vase with Viscaria Stolen in August". artdaily.org. April 22, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  12. ↑ "FBI — Caravaggio". FBI. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Five masterpieces stolen from Paris modern art museum". BBC News. May 20, 2010.
  14. 1 2 "PHOTOS: Theft at Paris Museum of Modern Art". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. May 20, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Marianne Nilsson. "Konst för nära en miljard slängd i sopcontainer". SvD.se.
  16. 1 2 3 "The World's Biggest Art Heists". CNBC. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Alison Mutler (July 16, 2013). "Romanian museum analyzing whether stolen paintings, including Picasso and Matisse, were burned". Global News.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "TABLOURILE FURATE din Olanda au fost ARSE de mama lui Radu Dogaru. Operele de artă, aduse în România în perne". Mediafax.ro.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Romanian museum analyzing whether stolen paintings, including Picasso and Matisse, were burned". startribune.com.
  20. ↑ "Most Wanted: Works of Art". www.monumentsmenfoundation.org (in German). Monuments Men Foundation. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  21. ↑ Vogel, Carol (June 19, 2006). "Lauder Pays $135 Million, a Record, for a Klimt Portrait". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Last Will 1923". Adele.at. January 19, 1923. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Bloch-Bauer 1945 testament". Arthistory.about.com. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  24. ↑ Houpt, Simon et al. (2006). Museum of the Missing, p. 49.
  25. ↑ Jones, Roger et al. (1983). Raphael, p. 170–171.
  26. ↑ PBS: The Rape of Europa., 2006 film, aired November 24, 2008.
  27. ↑ Art Crimes, Art and Antiques Magazine, December 1998, p. 22.
  28. ↑ "Theft of the Mona Lisa". Stoner Productions via Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  29. ↑ "How Mona Lisa was finally found". Retrieved 14 April 2001.
  30. ↑ "Louvre in India, minus Mona Lisa". The Telegraph.
  31. ↑ Ryman, Anne (August 1, 2018). "Who stole the $100M masterpiece? Clues emerge in year since recovery of Willem de Kooning painting". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection - Welcome to our Website". buehrle.ch.
  33. 1 2 "Reward for $180m Zurich art heist bandits". Herald Sun. Australia. February 13, 2008.
  34. ↑ "2 Paintings Stolen From Zurich Museum Didn’t Get Far". NY Times, February 20, 2008
  35. ↑ "Stolen Cezanne found by Serbian police". BBC News. April 12, 2012.
  36. ↑ Samuel, Henry (February 11, 2008). "Paintings worth £85 million stolen in Zurich". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  37. ↑ Interpol: Four masterpieces stolen from Zurich museum (ref.: 2008/5583)
  38. ↑ Harnischfeger, Uta and Nicholas Kulish. At Zurich Museum, a Theft of 4 Masterworks. The New York Times. February 12, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  39. ↑ "Stolen Degas recovered damaged". SWI Swissinfo.ch.
  40. ↑ "Rembrandt recovered! Self-portrait stolen from Nationalmuseum in Stockholm recovered in Copenhagen". Codart.nl. 16 September 2005. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  41. ↑ Eddy, Melissa (15 May 2015). "Matisse From Gurlitt Collection Is Returned to Jewish Art Dealer's Heirs". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  • FBI Art Theft page
  • Art and Antiques Unit – New Scotland Yard
  • The Art Loss Register The world's largest database of stolen art
  • Stolen Masterpieces - Famous Stolen Oil Paintings
  • "Most Wanted: Works of Art". Monuments Men Foundation (in German).
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