List of stolen paintings

Many valuable paintings have been stolen. The paintings listed are from masters of Western art which are valued in millions of U.S. dollars.

See also: List of most expensive paintings

Unrecovered
Painting Title, Artist Date stolen Location of theft Details Estimated value Reward
Landscape with Cottages by Rembrandt van Rijn1972 (September 4)Montreal 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 $5 million $50,000
Still Life: Vanitas by an anonymous artist in the style of Jan Davidsz van Heem1972 (September 4)Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, CanadaAmong paintings stolen from the museum by armed robbers in 1972
The Concert by Johannes Vermeer1990 (March 18)Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Main article: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft
The 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 $10,000,000 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 Rijn1990 (March 18)Isabella 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 Flinck1990 (March 18)Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Main article: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft
The 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
View of Auvers-sur-Oise by Paul Cézanne1999 (December 31)Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, EnglandView of Auvers-sur-Oise is a landscape painting by Paul Cézanne. It was stolen from the museum on the last night of the twentieth-century during a celebration of fireworks.[3]$10,000,000[4][5]?
A Cavalier by Frans van Mieris the ElderJune 10, 2007Art Gallery of New South Wales, SydneyStolen by visitor during opening hours.[6]$1,000,000
Poppy Flowers by Vincent van Gogh2010 (August)Mohammed 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[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] The same painting had been stolen from the same museum on June 4, 1977, and was recovered ten years later[10] in Kuwait.[11] The painting is small, measuring 65 x 54 cm, and depicts yellow and red poppy flowers.[12] It is believed that van Gogh painted it in 1887, three years before his suicide.[10]$50–55,000,000[7] $10,000,000
Man with a Pipe, by Jean Metzinger1998Wriston 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.[13]$2,000,000Missing
Venus with a Mirror by Jacopo Palma il Giovane2010 (February 11)Budapest, Andrássy 94 szám, Hübner Palace, Budapest, HungaryA Jacopo Palma il Giovanepainting stolen from Andrássy 94 szám, Budapest, Palace Hübner by robbers using force. Criminal case naumben Budapest Police - BRFK VI.ker. Rendőrkapitányság 010060/465/2010$1 million at the timeNo
Madeleine Leaning on her Elbow with Flowers in her Hair by Pierre-August Renoir2011 (September 8)Private residence, Houston, TexasStolen by armed robber at night [14]$1,000,000
The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen by Vincent van Gogh2020 (March 30)Singer Laren museum, Laren, NetherlandsHad been on loan from Groningen Museum[15]£5,000,000 (estimated)

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[16]?
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[17]) is a 1911 painting by Pablo Picasso.[18] 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. The container was emptied before it was discovered where the painting could be found[17][19]$28,000,000[20]?
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[17]) is a 1922 painting by Fernand Léger.[18] 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. The container was emptied before it was discovered where the painting could be found[17][19]$28,000,000[20]?
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[20]?
Harlequin Head (Tête d'Arlequin, 1971) by Pablo PicassoOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[21][22][23]		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[21][22][23]		Unknown?
Waterloo Bridge, London (1901) by Claude MonetOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[21][22][23]		Unknown?
Charing Cross Bridge, London (1901) by Claude MonetOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[21][22][23]		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[21][22][23]		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[21][22][23]		Unknown?
Woman with Eyes Closed (2002) by Lucian FreudOctober 15–16, 2012Kunsthal museum in RotterdamMain article: Kunsthal Art theft
Presumably burnt by an accomplice[21][22][23]		Unknown?

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 the Monuments Men's Most Wanted website. Property of Kulturhistorisches Museum in Magdeburg, Germany (formerly the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum).[24]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 New York in June 2006, which made it at that time the most expensive painting for about 4 months.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]$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.[28] 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.[29] 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[30]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

Recovered
PaintingTitle, ArtistDate stolenDate recoveredLocation of theftDetailsEstimated value
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da VinciAugust 21, 19111913Musée du Louvre, Paris
Further information: Mona Lisa § Refuge, theft and vandalism
Now in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The painting's continued and increasing fame was heightened when it was stolen.[31] The Louvre was closed for an entire week to aid the investigation.[32] Recovered after the thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, attempted to sell it.		Assessed in 1962 at $100 million.[33] Adjusted for inflation it would be worth $782 million today.
Femme Assise by Henri Matisse July 1940 2012 Paul Rosenberg, Paris 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.[34]
A Summer's Day (Un jour d'été) by Berthe Morisot12 April 1956April 1956Tate Gallery, LondonStolen in broad daylight by Paul Hogan and Bill Fogarty to highlight Ireland's claim to the Hugh Lane bequest of 39 important works of art (including A Summer's Day. The painting was returned anonymously several days later via the Irish Embassy. [35]£7m today
Saint Jerome Writing by CaravaggioDecember 29, 1984August 4, 1988St. John's Co-Cathedral, VallettaDamaged after the burglars cut it out of its frame, and restored in 1990.Total value $30,000,000
Woman-Ochre by Willem de KooningNovember 27, 19852017University 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.[36] 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 today
Bords de la Seine à Bougival by Camille PissarroFebruary 1987March 2009Maastricht, NetherlandsStolen with eight other paintings from art dealer Robert Noortman. One painting burnt, eight recovered (some damaged). [37]
La Clairière by Auguste RenoirFebruary 1987March 2009Maastricht, NetherlandsStolen with eight other paintings from art dealer Robert Noortman. One painting burnt, eight recovered (some damaged). [37]
In the Omnibus by Honore DaumierSummer 1992Redisplayed 2013Hugh Lane Gallery, DublinWater colour unscrewed from wall during children's art class. Details of recovery not released. [38]£250,000 in 1992
Rest on the Flight into Egypt (Titian) by TitianJanuary 1995August 2002Longleat House, UKRecovered undamaged in London[39]c.£10,000,000
The Scream (Der Schrei der Natur) by Edvard Munch 1994
and
2004		 1994
and
2006		 National Gallery, Oslo
and
Munch Museum, Oslo
Further information: The Scream § Thefts

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.

 $110,000,000
Portrait of a Lady by Gustav Klimt February 22, 1997 December 2019 Galleria Ricci-Oddi, Piacenza, ItalyBelieved to have been stolen shortly before a special exhibition was planned at the gallery in Piacenza. Recovered after 23 years hidden in the gallery wall in Piacenza. €60 million[40]
The Gardener (or, Young Peasant) by Vincent van Gogh May 19, 1998 1998 Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome Theft included two paintings by Van Gogh and one by Paul Cezanne. Recovered by the Carabinieri Art Squad a few weeks later. Three paintings estimated combined value: $34 million
Conversation by Pierre-Auguste RenoirDecember 22, 2000April 2001Nationalmuseum, StockholmStolen with a Rembrandt and another Renoir by armed raiders. Conversation was recovered in a drugs raid, the other two paintings were recovered in 2005. [41]
Self-portrait with Beret and Gathered Shirt (‘stilus mediocris’) by Rembrandt December 22, 2000 2005 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. Conversation was recovered in Stockholm a few months after the robbery and A Young Parisienne was recovered in Los Angeles in 2006.[42] $37,000,000
View of the Sea at Scheveningen by Vincent van Gogh December 7, 2002 September 30, 2016 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Recovered in Naples. Part of a $30,000,000 art heist.
Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen by Vincent van Gogh December 7, 2002 September 30, 2016 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Recovered in Naples. Part of a $30,000,000 art heist.
The Boy in the Red Vest by Paul CézanneFebruary 10, 2008April 12, 2012[43]Foundation E.G. Bührle, Zürich, SwitzerlandAn 1894/95[44] painting (Venturi 681) depicting a boy in traditional Italian attire. Stolen along with three other pieces.[45] It was the museum's most valuable painting. Recovered in Serbia.$91,000,000[46]
Count Lepic and His Daughters by Edgar Degas February 10, 2008 April 2012 Foundation E.G. Bührle, Zürich, Switzerland An 1870 painting stolen from Foundation E.G. Bührle in Zürich, Switzerland.[45] 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. Recovered in Serbia.[47] Part of a $162.5 million art heist[48][49][50]
Les Choristes by Edgar Degas 2009 February 2018 Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France (stolen while on loan to Musée Cantini, Marseille) Recovered outside Paris. €800,000

See also

References
  1. Stolen, a documentary about the theft of The Concert, from the PBS website.
  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 August 12, 2017.
  5. ABC News. "The World's Most Valuable Missing Works of Art". ABC News.
  6. "Theft from Art Gallery of New South Wales".
  7. "Egyptian authorities recover stolen Van Gogh painting". Outpost. June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  8. Guardian, "Stolen Van Gogh Still Missing" Retrieved August 26, 2010
  9. "Faulty alarms blamed for Van Gogh theft in Egypt". BBC News. August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  10. "Van Gogh painting stolen in Cairo". BBC News. August 21, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  11. "Egyptian minister says Van Gogh picture still missing". BBC News. August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  12. "Egypt Court Jails Officials Over Van Gogh's Vase with Viscaria Stolen in August". artdaily.org. April 22, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  13. Art Crimes, Art and Antiques Magazine, December 1998, p. 22.
  14. "New Top Ten Art Crime - Reward Offered for Stolen Renoir Painting". FBI. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  15. "Vincent van Gogh painting stolen from Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands". The Independent. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  16. "FBI — Caravaggio". FBI. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  17. "Five masterpieces stolen from Paris modern art museum". BBC News. May 20, 2010.
  18. "PHOTOS: Theft at Paris Museum of Modern Art". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. May 20, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  19. Marianne Nilsson. "Konst för nära en miljard slängd i sopcontainer". SvD.se.
  20. "The World's Biggest Art Heists". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  21. Alison Mutler (July 16, 2013). "Romanian museum analyzing whether stolen paintings, including Picasso and Matisse, were burned". Global News.
  22. "TABLOURILE FURATE din Olanda au fost ARSE de mama lui Radu Dogaru. Operele de artă, aduse în România în perne". Mediafax.ro.
  23. "Romanian museum analyzing whether stolen paintings, including Picasso and Matisse, were burned". startribune.com.
  24. "Most Wanted: Works of Art". www.monumentsmenfoundation.org (in German). Monuments Men Foundation. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  25. Vogel, Carol (June 19, 2006). "Lauder Pays $135 Million, a Record, for a Klimt Portrait". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  26. "Last Will 1923". Adele.at. January 19, 1923. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  27. "Bloch-Bauer 1945 testament". Arthistory.about.com. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  28. Houpt, Simon et al. (2006). Museum of the Missing, p. 49.
  29. Jones, Roger et al. (1983). Raphael, p. 170–171.
  30. PBS: The Rape of Europa., 2006 film, aired November 24, 2008.
  31. "Theft of the Mona Lisa". Stoner Productions via Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  32. "How Mona Lisa was finally found". Retrieved April 14, 2001.
  33. "Louvre in India, minus Mona Lisa". The Telegraph.
  34. Eddy, Melissa (May 15, 2015). "Matisse From Gurlitt Collection Is Returned to Jewish Art Dealer's Heirs". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  35. "'We didn't really think we'd get away with it'". The Independent. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  36. 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.
  37. Bazley, Tom. Crimes of the Art World. p. 52.
  38. "Stolen French painting returned to Hugh Lane Gallery". Irish Times. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  39. "Stolen £5m Titian found in carrier bag after seven-year hunt". Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  40. "Stolen Klimt mystery 'solved' by gardener in Italy". BBC News. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  41. "Stolen Renoir recovered". BBC News. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  42. "Rembrandt recovered! Self-portrait stolen from Nationalmuseum in Stockholm recovered in Copenhagen". Codart.nl. September 16, 2005. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  43. "Stolen Cezanne found by Serbian police". BBC News. April 12, 2012.
  44. "Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection - Welcome to our Website". buehrle.ch.
  45. "Reward for $180m Zurich art heist bandits". Herald Sun. Australia. February 13, 2008.
  46. "2 Paintings Stolen From Zurich Museum Didn’t Get Far". NY Times, February 20, 2008
  47. Samuel, Henry (February 11, 2008). "Paintings worth £85 million stolen in Zurich". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  48. Interpol: Four masterpieces stolen from Zurich museum (ref.: 2008/5583)
  49. Harnischfeger, Uta and Nicholas Kulish. At Zurich Museum, a Theft of 4 Masterworks. The New York Times. February 12, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  50. "Stolen Degas recovered damaged". SWI Swissinfo.ch.
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