Stolen Art: Lost & Found
Art theft has been around for centuries, but it has become an increasingly prominent issue in recent years. Stolen artworks range from priceless pieces of antiquity to modern masterpieces, and the stories of their theft and recovery are often remarkable. Here is a look at some of the most famous cases of art theft throughout history, as well as those that remain unsolved.
The Mona Lisa, perhaps the world’s most famous painting and one of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces, was stolen from the Louvre in Paris on August 21, 1911. After two years of searching, police finally recovered the painting in Florence, Italy. It was found in the possession of a former employee of the Louvre, Vincenzo Peruggia.
Another famous case of art theft is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Theft in Boston on March 18, 1990. Two men disguised as policemen stole 13 works of art valued at $500 million by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Degas among others. To date, no arrests have been made and the artworks remain missing.
In August 2004, Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream was stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. After a three-month investigation by Norwegian police, the painting was recovered in 2006. Two men were arrested for stealing it but two other men were never apprehended.
The theft of the Ghent Altarpiece by brothers Jan and Joos Van Eyck in 1934 is one of the most notorious unsolved art thefts ever committed. The 15th-century masterpiece was stolen from Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium where it remains missing to this day.
In more recent years, a series of high-profile art thefts have occurred in the United Kingdom. In August 2011, two paintings by J.M.W Turner worth £20 million were stolen from the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. The following year, three works by Lucian Freud valued at £2 million were taken from another London gallery and remain missing. Then in May 2014, a painting by Picasso was stolen from the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. The painting was recovered three weeks later and two men were arrested for its theft.
Art theft is an ever-present threat to the art world, but it is also one of the most fascinating aspects of art history. From priceless works of antiquity to modern masterpieces, these stories of theft and recovery are often remarkable – but there are still many unsolved cases. Here’s hoping that the current generation of art detectives can crack some of these mysteries.
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