Lost artworks

Lost artworks are original pieces of art that credible sources indicate once existed but that cannot be accounted for in museums or private collections or are known to have been destroyed deliberately or accidentally, or neglected through ignorance and lack of connoisseurship.

The US FBI maintains a list of "Top Ten Art Crimes";[1] a 2006 book by Simon Houpt[2] and several other media outlets have profiled the most significant outstanding losses.

Chronology of notable loss events

Research and recovery efforts

The Art Loss Register is a commercial computerized international database which captures information about lost and stolen art, antiques and collectables. It is operated by a commercial company based in London.

In the U.S., the FBI maintains the Stolen Art File, "a database of stolen art and cultural property. Stolen objects are submitted for entry to the NSAF by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad."[8]

A number of search and recovery efforts were created in response to major loss events, notably:

List of notable lost artworks

Pre-16th century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
Destroyed-475-25 BCESack of TroyPolygnotusIn the Lesche of Knidos at DelphiPausanias in Description of Greece, Chapter X
Destroyed-00475-25 BCEOdysseus in the UnderworldPolygnotusIn the Lesche of Knidos at DelphiPausanias in Description of Greece, Chapter X
Destroyed-00450-40 BCELemnian Athena, a bronzePhidiasHoused in the Parthenon
Missing-00447- BCEAthena ParthenosPhidiasOriginally housed in the Parthenon900-99
Destroyed-00435 BCEStatue of Zeus at OlympiaPhidiasProbably Lauseion fire425-472
Presumed destroyed450-400 BCEFemale Centaur Nursing a Pair of TwinsZeuxisPart of the loot of the Roman General Sulla from the First Mithridatic War Shipwreck off Malea (see Antikythera wreck)86 BCE
Destroyed-0399-00 BCEAphrodite of Knidos, a marble sculpturePraxiteles
Destroyed-0399-00 BCESeated Hercules, a colossal bronzeLysippusFor the acropolis of Tarentum in southern Italy, was taken to Rome by Fabius Maximus, 209 BCE, and installed on the Capitoline Hill; later taken to Constantinople to decorate the HippodromeFourth Crusade, melted down by invaders1204
Missing-0399-00 BCEEros Stringing the Bow bronzeLysippusVarious copies exist
Missing-0399-00 BCEAgias bronzeLysippusMarble copy found and preserved in Delphi
Missing-0340-30 BCEOil Pourer bronzeLysippus, circle ofRoman marble copies
Missing-0340-30 BCEHercules bronzeLysippusMarble copy by Glykon
Missing-0330 BCEApoxyomenos bronzeLysippusRoman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa installed Lysippos's masterpiece in the Baths of Agrippa that he erected in Rome, around 20 BCEDescription in Pliny the Elder's Natural History, multiple marble copies
Missing-0356-23 BCEAlexander the Great bronzesLysippus
Destroyed-292-80 BCEColossus of RhodesChares of LindosRhodes earthquake226 BCE
Missing60-84HodegetriaSaint Luke1261-
Destroyed193-526RegisoleErected at Ravenna, moved to Pavia in the Middle Ages, it stood before the cathedralJacobin Club in Pavia vandalism (destroyed as a symbol of monarchy)1796
Missing400-525Image of Edessa (Mandylion)Sack of Constantinople
French Revolution
1204
1789–99
Destroyed425Portraits of western and eastern imperial family members mosaiccommissioned by Galla Placidia in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, Ravenna1747
Destroyed425Portrait of the bishop of Ravenna mosaiccommissioned by Galla Placidia in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, Ravenna1747
Destroyed500-99Buddhas of BamyanTaliban iconoclasm (purported)2001
Presumed Destroyed500-99CamulianaByzantine Iconoclasm727-842
Destroyed600Icon of Christ ChalkitesIconoclasm of Leo III726-30
Destroyed1070–79Bayeux Tapestry, final portionDeliberately removed at some point
Destroyed1277–85The facade mosaics and the fresco cycles, with stories from the New and Old TestamentCavallini, PietroIn the Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura in Rome[10]Fire1823
Destroyed1305–13Navicella mosaicGiottoOutside Old Saint Peter's BasilicaMoved and extensively reworked in the 17th century1600–1675
Missing1308Coronation of the Virgin panel of the Maestà altarpieceDuccioDismantled1711
Missing1308 Virgin of the Assumption panel of the Maestà altarpieceDuccioDismantled1711
Missing1308Ascension of Christ panel of the Maestà altarpieceDuccioDismantled1711
Missing1308Christ in Majesty panel of the Maestà altarpieceDuccioDismantled1711
Missing1328–37Commune of Florence allegorical frescoGiottopainted for the Palazzo del Podestà, now the Bargello, FlorenceDescribed by Giorgio Vasari as a seated judge with sceptre, flanked by figures of Fortitude, Prudence, Justice and Temperance
Missing1314–28Stories of the Apostles frescoesGiottoFor the Giugni Chapel of the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence
Missing1297–1337Painting of the VirginGiottoBequeathed by the poet Petrarch to Francesca da Carrara, lord of Padua, in 1370
Destroyed1317–48Saint Margaret of Cortona bringing Suppolino back to Life frescoLorenzetti, AmbrogioIn the Church of Santa Margherita, CortonaDestroyed~1650
Missing1327–44Laura (Laura de Noves)Martini, SimonePortrait is the subject of Sonnets 77 and 78, Rime sparse (1372) by Petrarch
Destroyed1390–1425Virgin Enthroned with Saints and Angels (1402)Monaco, LorenzoFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Missing1410Joshua terra cottaDonatelloNorth tribune of the Duomo of FlorenceDisappeared in the 18th century1700–1799
Missing1428Abundance (Dovizia) in stoneDonatelloOn a column placed first in the Baptistery of the Duomo, later in the Mercato Vecchio, FlorenceReplaced in the 18th century, now lost[11]1700–1799Copies in terra cotta from the workshop of Giovanni della Robbia exist
Destroyed1424Hunting scenes frescoesPisanelloCastle of PaviaDestroyed by French soldiers1527
DestroyedFrescoes of Saint Eustace, Saint George Sheathing his SwordPisanelloChapel of the Pellegrini family, S. Anastasia, Verona[12]Internal damage to the churchby 1826
Destroyed1427–28Frescoesda Fabriano, Gentile
Pisanello
In the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, RomeDestroyed during reconstruction1647
Destroyed1425–30Mosaic of Saint Peter BlessingPaolo UccelloOn the façade of the Basilica of San Marco, VeniceReplaced with mosaics by Gaetano1617–18
Destroyed1432Illustrious Men fresco cycleda Panicale, Masolino
Uccello
For the Palace of Cardinal Orsini in RomeA watercolor copy by Leonardo da Besozzo survives
Destroyed1425Sagra del Carmine monochrome frescoMasaccioFor the cloister of Santa Maria del Carmine, FlorenceDestroyed1600
Destroyed1425–69Confirmation of the Rules of the Carmelites frescoLippi, FilippoIn the cloister of Santa Maria del Carmine, FlorenceFire[13]1771A fragment uncovered in 1860 survives in place
Missing1423Painted CrucifixFra AngelicoFor the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Destroyed1456Last JudgmentFra Angelico, school ofFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1440–57Flagellation frescodel Castagno, AndreaIn the cloister of the Basilica of Santa Croce, FlorenceDestroyed in the 17th century1600–1699
Destroyed1450–52Life of the Virgin frescoesVeneziano, Domenico
del Castagno, Andrea
In the church of Sant' Egidio (Santa Maria Nuova), FlorenceDestroyed1594
Destroyed1449–56Life of Santa Rosa fresco cycleGozzoli, BenozzoFor the church of Santa Rosa, Viterbo1632 renovations to the church[14]1632Autograph and other drawings and a contemporary description survive
Destroyed1450–76Scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas altarpieceda Messina, AntonelloFor the Confraternity of San Nicolò della Montagna in Messina, seen by Cavalcaselle in 1871[15]Destroyed in the Messina earthquake1908
Destroyed1496Virgin and Child in Glory with Saints John the Evangelist, Francis, Jerome and John the BaptistGhirlandaio, DomenicoIn the Church of San Francesco in San Casciano, Val di Pesa until 1810.Friedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1470–92Several original paintings on "pagan" subjectsBotticelliBonfire of the Vanities
Destroyed1478Piero di Cosimo de' MediciBotticelliFormerly Museo Civico Gaetano Filangieri, NaplesDestroyed in World War II1939–45Photographs survive
Destroyed1478-Frescoes depicting the criminal conspirators of the Pazzi Conspiracy against the MediciBotticelliPainted either in the Bargello or the Dogana in FlorenceRemoved at the instigation of Pope Alexander VI after the fall of the Medicis1494
Destroyed1487–90Frescoes on mythological themes, including the Forge of VulcanBotticelli, Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi and PeruginoFor Lorenzo de' Medici in the great hall and external loggia of his villa at Spedaletto, near VolterraDamaged by damp and finally destroyed by fire in the early 19th century[16]1800–1850
Destroyed1456–1515Fresco of the Triumph of TrajanVincenzo FoppaDone for the Medici bank in the Via de' Bossi, Milan[17]The Medici bank palazzo demolished1863A fragment survives in the Wallace Collection, London
Destroyed1485Altarpiece for the church of Santa Maria dei Battuti in BellunoAlvise VivariniDestroyed by fire in Berlin during World War II1939–45
Destroyed1488Frescoes, including a Baptism of Christ for the Belvedere Chapel of the VaticanAndrea MantegnaDestroyed under Pope Pius VI to permit construction of the Pio-Clementino Museum1780
Destroyed1450–57Frescoes of the Lives of Saint James and Saint ChristopherAndrea Mantegnafor the Ovetari Chapel of the Church of the Eremitani, PaduaDestroyed in the Allied bombing of Padua, March 111944Frescoes of the Assumption and Body of Saint Christopher detached in 1880 survive, as do photographs
Destroyed1457–60Lamentation of the People over the Dead GattamelataAndrea MantegnaA fresco in the Palazzo Gattamelata, PaduaFire on November 51760A related drawing is in The Wallace Collection, London
Destroyed1470–1515Saint Catherine of Siena Altarpiece (Sacra Conversazione)Giovanni BelliniIn the Chapel of the Rosary of the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, VeniceFire1867
Destroyed1494The Supper at EmmausGiovanni BelliniPainted for Giorgio Cornaro of VeniceFire in Vienna in the 18th century1700–1799
Destroyed1478–80Ascension with Christ in Glory frescoMelozzo da ForlìFor the choir of the Church of the Santi Apostoli, RomeRenovation to enlarge the choir1711Fragments survive in the Vatican and Quirinal
Destroyed1483Destruction of Troy frescoLorenzo CostaFor the loggia of the Bentivoglio Palace, BolognaDestroyed with the palace by a mob[18]1507Fragment survives in the Pinacoteca Nazionale
Destroyed1472–74The Court of Pan (The School of Pan)Luca SignorelliPainted c. 1490 at the request of Lorenzo de' Medici[19]Friedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1474Madonna and Saints frescoLuca SignorelliIn the Tower of Città di CastelloEarthquake1789
Presumed destroyed1508-09The Calumny of Apelles frescoLuca SignorelliAudience chamber of the Palazzo del MagnificoDispersion, missing by 18401512–1840
Presumed destroyed1508-09The Feast of Pan frescoLuca SignorelliAudience chamber of the Palazzo del MagnificoDispersion, missing by 18401512–1840
Destroyed1466–80Adoration of the Magi frescoPeruginoFor the convent of S. Giusto alle Mura[20]Preparing the city for the Siege of Florence1529
Missing1420–30Woman BathingVan EyckLostDepicted in the 17th-century gallery of Cornelis van der Geest painted by Willem van Haecht
Missing1430–32The Just Judges Ghent Altarpiece panelVan EyckStolen1934
Destroyed1441Madonna and Child with a Donor (van Eyck) triptychVan Eyckpainted for Nicholas van Maelbeke, provost of St. Martin's Cathedral, YpresRemoved from the cathedral and lost during the French occupation of The Netherlands, 1792–18151792–1815A 1629 copy was acquired by the Bruges museum in 2007
Destroyed1444CrucifixionPetrus Christus (attributed)Formerly Dessau MuseumDestroyed by bombing in World War II1939–45
Destroyed1439-The Justice of Trajan and the Justice of HerkenbaldRogier van der WeydenPainted for the 'Gulden Camere' (Golden Chamber) of the Brussels Town HallBombardment of Brussels1695Tapestries executed c. 1450 copying the artist's original designs survive[21]
Destroyed1509–28Descent from the Cross altarpieceJan GossaertChurch of MiddelburgLightning strike, fire1568
Presumed Destroyed1475Great History of Troy tapestriesPainted Chamber of the Palace of WestminsterRemoved 1820 and sold for ten pounds sterling to a London merchant1820An 18th-century watercolor of one tapestry by John Carter is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Destroyed1456FrescoesPiero della FrancescaVatican Palace, destroyed (or covered) by Raphael before painting the Stanze
Destroyed1482-Leonardo's horse terracotta modelLeonardo da VinciFrench invasion of Milan1499
Missing1490EveTullio LombardoCarved for the tomb of Doge Andrea Vendramin in the church of Santa Maria dei Servi, Venice. Together with its companion statue Adam, now in the Metropolitan MuseumDisappeared from public view around 1819 when the Vendramin monument was moved to the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice1819

16th century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
Missing1511-20The Trial of Saint StephenVittore CarpaccioOne of a series of five canvases for the Scuola di San Stefano, VeniceUntraced after 18061806A drawing for the modello survives in the Uffizi
DestroyedVirgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Faustinus and Jovita, patron saints of Brescia (the Averoldi Altarpiece)CarpaccioFormerly sacristy of S. Giovanni Evangelista, BresciaSold to the National Gallery London, lost in a shipwreck crossing the English Channel
DestroyedThe Birth of Paris (Finding of the Infant Paris?) GiorgioneIn the collections of Taddeo Contarini, Venice and the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, BrusselsKnown through a copy by David Teniers the Younger, now in the Musées Royaux de Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Engraved by Theodoor van Kessel, 1660. A fragment of two shepherds survives.
Destroyedc. 1507-08Assumption of the VirginFra BartolomeoFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Missingbefore 1500Medusa (unfinished)Leonardo da VinciIn the collection of Cosimo I of Tuscany, 1553Lost since the end of the 16th century1550–99
Missing1508Leda and the SwanLeonardo da VinciDisappeared from the French royal palace of Fontainebleau after 1623After 1623A copy by Cesare da Sesto is at Wilton House,Salisbury
MissingThe Battle of AnghiariLeonardo da VinciPalazzo Vecchio
DestroyedCartoon of the battle of Cascina, Palazzo VecchioMichelangeloPutatively destroyed by Bandinelli
Missingcirca 1530A painting of Leda and the SwanMichelangeloGiven by the artist to his friend Antonio Mini who took it to FranceDisappeared in FranceA print engraved by Cornelis Vos, 1537, records the design
DestroyedA marble CupidMichelangeloLater owned by Isabella d'Este and Charles I of EnglandFire at Whitehall Palace, London1698
Presumed DestroyedPortrait of a CourtesanCaravaggioFormerly in the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, BerlinFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Missingc. 1492–94A marble HerculesMichelangeloMichelangelo's first free-standing statue; installed in the Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, 1506, sent to France in the 16th centuryDisappeared from the French royal palace of Fontainebleau in the 18th century1700–99
MissingA bronze statue of David resting his foot on the severed head of GoliathMichelangeloCommissioned in 1502 and sent to France in 1508Disappeared from the Chateau de Villeroy during the French Revolution1794–95
A lost self-portrait, by Raphael
DestroyedA bronze statue of pope Julius II in the act of blessingMichelangeloOn San Petronio basilica's facade in BolognaDestroyed by the people of Bologna1511
DestroyedAltarpiece of the Madonna and Child with St. Mary Magdalen and St. Lucy (Madonna of Albinea)Antonio da Correggio
DestroyedFresco of The Coronation of the Virgin for the church of San Giovanni Evangelista, ParmaCorreggioDestroyed1587Fragments in National Gallery, London, other museums
DestroyedFresco of Saint Mary Magdalen in the DesertCorreggioPainted for Veronica Gambara's Palazzo della Delizie, in the town of CorreggioDestruction of Palazzo della Deliziec. 1555Described in a letter dated Sept. 3, 1528 from Veronica Gambara to Isabella d’Este[22]
Missing1513–14Portrait of a Young Man (Raphael)RaphaelNazi plunder1939
DestroyedBaronci altarpiece (the Crowning of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino)RaphaelRaphael's first recorded commission, it was made for Andrea Baronci's chapel in the church of Sant'Agostino in Citta di Castello, near UrbinoEarthquake1700–99At least four fragments survive (Louvre, Capodimonte)
MissingSaint Catherine of AlexandriaRaphaelFormerly owned by Thomas Howard, Earl of ArundelPresumed lostDepicted in an engraving by Wenceslas Hollar
Missing1520Portrait of Albrecht Durer in Black Hat and CloakTommaso VincidorPainted from life in AntwerpPresumed lostDepicted in the 17th-century gallery of Cornelis van der Geest painted by Willem van Haecht
Missing1537–39Frescoes for the Massimi Chapel at Santa Trinità dei Monti, Rome, representing Christ at the Pool of Bethesda, Christ and the Centurion, the Transfiguration, the Expulsion from the Temple and (possibly) the Feeding of the Five Thousand.Pierino del VagaDetached during Napoleonic times and lost by 1840Before 1840A companion fresco, The Raising of Lazarus, now transferred to canvas, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum
MissingThe Wedding of Neptune and Amphitrite silver bowlCelliniTaken from the Chapter of the Basilica of Santa Barbara, Modena, by the French1796
DestroyedAscension of Mary altarpiece (The ‘Heller altar’)DürerThe central panel added to the collection of Elector Maximilian of BavariaFire1729A 1615 copy of the entire altarpiece by Jobst Harrich of Nuremberg survives
Destroyedc. 1529Portrait of an Architect (Self-Portrait?)Wolf HuberFire at the Musée de Beaux Arts, Strasbourg, August 13, 1947 (one of 30 paintings destroyed)1947
DestroyedCardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Archbishop of MainzCranach the ElderFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedVirgin and Child with Four Female SaintsCranach the ElderFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedMadonna and Child with Infant Saint JohnCranach the ElderFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedDuke Henry of SaxonyCranach the ElderBombing of Dresden, February 19451945
MissingMarket DayPieter Brueghel the ElderDepicted in the 17th-century gallery of Cornelis van der Geest painted by Willem van Haecht
DestroyedThe Farmers BrawlPieter Brueghel the ElderBombing of Dresden, February1945Engraved by Lucas Vosterman, c. 1620
DestroyedWhitehall Mural of Henry VIII and family in Whitehall Palace, LondonHans Holbein the YoungerFire1698
DestroyedSir Thomas More and FamilyHolbeinFire at Kremsier Castle, the Moravian residence of Carl von Liechtenstein, archbishop of Olmutz[23]1752
MissingThe Goldsmith Hans von ZurichHolbeinOwned successively by Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel and Everhard Jabach and heirsPresumed lostCopied by Lucas Vosterman and engraved by Wenceslas Hollar
Missing1543Portrait of Johann von SchwarzwaldtHolbeinPolandLooted in World War II1939–45Photograph survives
DestroyedBattle of SpoletoTitianDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedBattle of CadoreTitianDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedDoge Gritti Praying to the VirginTitianDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedCoronation of Frederick BarbarossaTintorettoDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedExcommunication of BarbarossaTintorettoDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedLast JudgmentTintorettoDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedHomage of Frederick BarbarossaPaolo VeroneseDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedWorksGentile da FabrianoDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedWorksPisanelloDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedPope Alexander III in the Church of St. MarksCarpaccioDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedMeeting of the Pope and the Doge at AnconaCarpaccioDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedOtho Promising to Mediate Between Venice and BarbarossaAlvise VivariniDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedParadiseGuarientoDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedBattle of SalvoreGentile BelliniDoge's Palace fire1577
DestroyedPresentation of the White Candle to the PopeGentile BelliniDoge's Palace fire1577
Destroyed Presentation of the Eight Standards and Trumpets to the DogeGiovanni BelliniDoge's Palace fire1577
MissingPortrait of Isabella d'Este in RedTitianA copy by Rubens is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
DestroyedDeath of St Peter Martyr for the Chapel of the Rosary, Santi Giovanni e Paolo, VeniceTitianFire1867Copies and engravings survive
DestroyedDouble Portrait of Emperor Charles V and his wife Isabella of PortugalTitianRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734A copy by Rubens survives
Destroyed1561Penitent MagdaleneTitianPainted for Philip II of SpainFire at Bath House, London, January 211873
DestroyedIxion and TantalusTitianRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
DestroyedPaintings of The Twelve CaesarsTitianRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
MissingVenus in Front of her MirrorTitianLost from the Spanish royal collection in the 19th century1800–99A copy by Rubens survives
Missing1551Frescoes for the first floor loggia of the Villa Soranzo at Treville (near Castelfranco Veneto)Veronese and by Giambattista ZelottiDesigned by Michele SanmicheliFresco fragments were removed from the villa and dispersed when it was destroyed between 1817–191819
Destroyed1578The Jewel of VicenzaAttributed to Andrea Palladio or Giorgio CapobiancoCreated as an ex-voto and financed by donations from the city of VicenzaDestroyed by the Napoleonic army when they tried to melt it down for silver1797A silver reconstruction was made in 2012–2013
Destroyedc. 1580Apollo and JunoVeronesePainted for the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, VeniceFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyedc. 1580Saturn Helps Religion to Overcome HeresyVeronesePainted for the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, VeniceFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedFresco of God the Father and the Four EvangelistsPontormoIn the Capponi Chapel, Church of Santa Felicita, FlorenceRemodeling in the 18th century1700–99
DestroyedUnfinished fresco of the Last Judgment at the Basilica of San Lorenzo, FlorencePontormoRenovations in the 18th century1700–99
Destroyed1597-99Portrait of a Courtesan, aka Fillide MelandroniCaravaggioFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Missing1572-Portrait of Bianca Cappello (the Serendipity painting)Vasari or Allori

Formerly at the Vitelli palace, it was purchased by Horace Mann and sent as a gift to Horace Walpole. After the death of Walpole, the painting was sold as lot 92 in the 1842 Strawberry Hill auction (20th day); then possibly sold at the 1895 Sale of the Doetsch Collection at Christie's (item 157, as "Portrait of Laudomia de' Medici").

Missing after the 1842 or the 1895 auction.1895Sir Horace Walpole coined the term serendipity when writing about this painting to Horace Mann (January 28, 1754)

17th century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
MissingA Christus headAnnibale Carracci
A lost Christus head by Annibale Carracci
Destroyed1602The Armada TapestriesVroom, HendrickFor Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham; sold to James I, 1616 and placed in the House of Lords, London by Oliver Cromwell, 1650Burning of Parliament[24]1834Engraved by John Pine, 1739[25]
DestroyedEquestrian bronze statue of Henry IV of FranceGiovanni da BolognaPresented to Marie de Medicis by Cosimo II of Tuscany in 1614Melted for cannon during the French Revolution1789–99
MissingTime Saving Truth from Envy and DiscordNicolas PoussinUntraced since 18401840
Destroyed1630The Martyrdom of ErasmusNicolas PoussinBombing of Dresden, February 19451945
Destroyed1637–40Penance, one of the seven SacramentsNicolas PoussinBelvoir Castle fire1816
Destroyed1650Ceiling reliefs of plants and garlandsRoger PrattColeshill House fire[26]1952Photographs survive[26]
Destroyed1658Queen Esther Approaching the Palace of AhasuerusClaude LorrainFonthill Abbey fire[27]1755A fragment in the collection of the Earl of Leicester, Holkham Hall
Destroyed1660–73Apollo Guarding the Herds of Admetus and Mercury Stealing ThemClaude LorrainHolker Hall fire[3]1871
Missing1666–73Aeneas and the Sibyl of CumaeClaude LorrainOne of four works commissioned by Prince FalconieriLiber Veritatis 183
Lost at sea1601–02The CrucifixionPeter Paul RubensPainted for the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, RomeImported to England 1811; there auctioned 1812, 1820; lost at sea after last dateafter 1820[28]
Missing1609Judith Beheading HolofernesRubensKnown only though the 1610 engraving by Cornelis Galle the Elder
DestroyedMadonna of the RosaryRubensPainted for the Royal Chapel of the Dominican Church, BrusselsBombardment of Brussels1695
Destroyed1610Virgin Adorned with Flowers by Saint AnneRubensPainted for the Church of the Carmelite Friars, BrusselsBombardment of Brussels1695
Destroyed1613Saint Job TriptychRubensPainted for Saint Nicholas Church, BrusselsBombardment of Brussels1695
DestroyedCambyses Appointing Otanes JudgeRubensDecoration for the Magistrates' Hall, BrusselsBombardment of Brussels1695
DestroyedJudgment of SolomonRubensDecoration for the Magistrates' Hall, BrusselsBombardment of Brussels1695
DestroyedLast JudgmentRubensDecoration for the Magistrates' Hall, BrusselsBombardment of Brussels1695
Destroyed1615Neptune and AmphitriteRubensFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedNativityRubensCoudenberg Palace fire1731
DestroyedAdoration of the MagiRubensCoudenberg Palace fire1731
DestroyedPentecostRubensCoudenberg Palace fire1731
Missing1617–18Susannah and the EldersRubensEngraved 1620 by Lucas Vosterman
Missing1618Satyr, Nymph, Putti and LeopardsRubensNow known only from engraving
DestroyedThe Abduction of ProserpineRubensFire at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, February 5, 1861[29]1861Engraved before 1621 by Pieter Soutman
Destroyed1622Crucifixion with Mary, St. John, MagdalenRubensEnglish Civil War: English Parliamentarians in the Queen's Chapel, Somerset House, London, 1643[30]1643
Destroyed1628Portrait of Philip IV of SpainRubensIncendiary attack at the Kunsthaus, Zurich, in 1985[31]1985
Destroyed1635–38Diana and Nymphs Surprised by SatyrsRubensFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
MissingEquestrian Portrait of the Archduke AlbertRubens
DestroyedEquestrian Portrait of Philip IV of SpainRubensRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734A copy is in the Uffizi Gallery
DestroyedThe Continence of ScipioRubensFire in the Western Exchange, Old Bond Street, London, March 1836[32]1836
DestroyedThe Lion HuntRubensRemoved by Napoleon's agents from Schloss Schleissheim, near Munich, 1800Fire at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux[33]1870
DestroyedEquestrian Portrait of the Duke of BuckinghamRubensLater owned by the Earl of Jersey at Osterley ParkFire[34]1949
Grisaille sketch of Magistrates of Brussels, in the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris
DestroyedSeries of 39 ceiling paintings for the Jesuit Church in Antwerp (nl:Carolus Borromeuskerk#Branden, Dutch wiki)Van Dyck (largely executed by), Rubens (designed by)Fire1718Engravings by Jan Punt (Amsterdam 1751) of 31 of the paintings from drawings executed 1711-12 by Jacob de Wit exist[35]
DestroyedVision of Saint HubertRubens and Jan Brueghel the ElderFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedAllegories of Sight and SmellJan Brueghel the Elder and other artistsBought (with the following entry) by the City of Antwerp and hung in audience hall, Tervuren Castle 1619[36]Coudenberg Palace fire1731
DestroyedAllegories of Hearing, Taste and TouchJan Brueghel the Elder and other artistsCoudenberg Palace fire1731
Missing1641Portrait of Jules Mazarin before his appointment as CardinalVan DyckThe French rebellion of the Frond. Sold at an auction by the Tribunal of Paris between the 28th of December 1651 and February 16521651/2
Destroyed1634-5Group Portrait of the Town Council of BrusselsVan DyckBombardment of Brussels1695
DestroyedChrist Crowned with ThornsVan DyckFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedLamentation over ChristVan DyckFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedNymphs Surprised by SatyrsVan DyckFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedSaints John the Baptist and John the EvangelistVan DyckFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedAdoration of the Shepherds (Birth of Christ)Gerrit van HonthorstUffizi car bombing1993
Destroyed1627Six Gold and Silver Smiths (The "Bankers of Amsterdam")Thomas de KeyserFire at the Musée de Beaux Arts, Strasbourg, August 13, 1947[37] (one of 30 paintings destroyed)1947
Missing1646The CircumcisionRembrandtExecuted for the Stadtholder Frederick Henry, Prince of OrangeWent missing in the 18th century1700–99A presumed copy is in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig, Germany
DestroyedBentheim Castle with Christ and Disciples on the Road to EmmausJacob van RuisdaelMuseum Boymans fire1864
DestroyedThe WindmillJacob van RuisdaelHolker Hall fire[38]1871
DestroyedLarge family portraitCarel FabritiusMuseum Boymans fire1864
DestroyedSleeping ManAelbert CuypMuseum Boymans fire1864
DestroyedTobias Healing His FatherJan SteenMuseum Boymans fire[39]1864
DestroyedWhite Ox in a FieldPaulus PotterMuseum Boymans fire1864
DestroyedLarge Herd of OxenPaulus PotterPurchased for Fl. 9050, Braamcamp sale, Amsterdam, 1771 by agents of Catherine the Great.Vrouw Maria sinking[40]1771
MissingA Gentleman washing his hands in a see-through room (half-door) with sculptures, artful and rareVermeerListed in the catalogue of the Dissius auction, Holland, 1696
Destroyed1601The Inspiration of Matthew first versionCaravaggioFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1605Christ on the Mount of OlivesCaravaggioFrom the collection of Vincenzo GiustinianiFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
MissingA portrait of Alof de WignacourtCaravaggio
DestroyedSaint JohnCaravaggioDone for the Fenaroli chapel, Sant'Anna dei Lombardi, NaplesEarthquake1798
DestroyedSaint FrancisCaravaggioDone for the Fenaroli chapel, Sant'Anna dei Lombardi, NaplesEarthquake1798
DestroyedResurrectionCaravaggioDone for the Fenaroli chapel, Sant'Anna dei Lombardi, NaplesEarthquake1798A 1763 description by Charles-Nicolas Cochin[41] survives.
MissingNativity with St. Francis and St. LawrenceCaravaggioFor the Oratorio of San Lorenzo, PalermoStolen1969
DestroyedThe Conversion of Saint Paul altarpieceOrazio GentileschiDone for the basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura, RomeFire1823
DestroyedThe Stoning of Saint Stephen altarpieceLavinia FontanaDone for the basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura, RomeFire1823
Destroyed1628Hercules and OmphaleArtemisia GentileschiPainted for Philip IV of SpainRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
Destroyed1650–52BathshebaArtemisia GentileschiFire at Gosford House, Scotland[42]1940
DestroyedLa BuonavventuraBartolomeo ManfrediUffizi car bombing1993
DestroyedCiclo VitoBartolomeo ManfrediUffizi car bombing1993
DestroyedDanaeAnnibale CarracciFormerly Ellesmere collection, Bridgewater House, Westminster, LondonWorld War II, May 11, 19411941
Destroyed1600Saint Gregory Praying for Souls in Purgatory, altarpieceAnnibale CaracciFor the church of San Gregorio Magno, Rome; formerly Ellesmere collection, Bridgewater House, Westminster, LondonWorld War II, May 11, 19411941
DestroyedDescent from the CrossLudovico CarracciFormerly Ellesmere collection, Bridgewater House, Westminster, LondonWorld War II, May 11, 19411941
DestroyedBacchus and AriadneGuido ReniCommissioned for Queen Henrietta Maria's house at Greenwich, 1637Destroyed in France in the 17th century by the widow of Michel Particelli d'Hemery, who was scandalized by the female nudes it contained[43]1700–99A fragment with the head of Ariadne survives
DestroyedImmaculate ConceptionGuido ReniFormerly Seville Cathedral, Spain, later in the Ellesmere collection, Bridgewater House, Westminster, LondonWorld War II, May 11, 19411941
DestroyedBust of King Charles I (Bernini)BerniniWhitehall Palace fire, London1698
DestroyedCrucified Christ in bronzeBerniniFormerly in the French royal collectionFrench Revolution1789–99
Destroyed1627Expulsion of the Moors with Philip IIIVelasquezRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
DestroyedVenus and AdonisVelasquezRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
DestroyedCupid and PsycheVelasquezRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
DestroyedApollo and MarsyasVelasquezRoyal Alcázar of Madrid fire1734
MissingFrancesco de OchoaVelasquezOne of two portraits of royal jesters for the Buen Retiro Palace, Madrid
MissingCardenas the ToreadorVelasquezOne of two portraits of royal jesters for the Buen Retiro Palace, Madrid
MissingPelican with Bucket and DonkeysVelasquezFor the Palace of Buen Retiro, Madrid
DestroyedSaint Bonaventure Reveals the Crucifix to Saint Thomas AquinasZurbaránCommissioned by the Colegio de San Buenaventura, Seville. Taken from Spain by Marshal SoultFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
DestroyedCaritas Romana (Roman Charity)MurilloTaken from Spain by Joseph Bonaparte and sold to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine ArtFire1845
Destroyed1692–1702Frescoes of The Labors of HerculesLuca GiordanoFor the Buen Retiro Palace of Charles II of Spain, MadridDestroyed in the 19th century1800–99
DestroyedFrescoes of the Life of Saint BenedictLuca GiordanoPainted for the Abbey of Monte CassinoBombing, Battle of Monte Cassino, February 15, 19441944
DestroyedWilliam III Leading Troops at the Battle of the BoyneGodfrey KnellerGrocers' Hall Fire, London, 22 September1965

18th century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
DestroyedThe White DuckJean-Baptiste OudryHoughton Hall theft1990
Jean-Baptiste Oudry's The White Duck, which was stolen in 1990
MissingThe Amber Room of the Catherine PalaceStolen by Germans during World War II1941–45
Destroyed1702Venus Imploring Jupiter on Behalf of Aeneas, the ceiling painting for the Grand Gallery of the Palais-RoyalAntoine CoypelDestroyed in the late 18th centuryafter 1783A sketch for it survives
Missing, believed destroyed1716An equestrian statue of King George I of Great BritainJohn van NostFormerly part of the Duke of Chandos' collection at Cannons; moved to Leicester Square in London in 1784Badly vandalised; later sold and removed[44]1872
MissingThe Drawing LessonJean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin
MissingA Girl Reciting her GospelJean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin
Destroyed1724–25Still Life with Copper Kettle, Bowl with EggsChardinFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyedc. 1719Decorations for the Chateau de la Muette: the Goddess Ki Mao Sao in the Kingdom of Mang in the country of LaosWatteauFrench Revolution1789–99
DestroyedSpring (Printemps)WatteauOne of a series of four paintings of the Seasons, painted for the banker Pierre CrozatLost, then rediscovered in 1964, destroyed by fire two years later1966
MissingAutumnWatteauOne of a series of four paintings of the Seasons, painted by Watteau for the banker Pierre Crozat
MissingWinterWatteauOne of a series of four paintings of the Seasons, painted by Watteau for the banker Pierre Crozat
MissingJay and Oriole Hung by the FeetJean-Baptiste OudryExhibited at the Salon of 1751
Destroyed1731A Harlot's Progress (the original paintings)William HogarthFire at Fonthill Abbey17551732 engravings survive
Destroyed1738Strolling Actresses Dressing in a BarnWilliam HogarthFire at Littleton House in December[45]1874An engraving by the artist survives
DestroyedWilliam BouverieThomas HudsonColeshill House fire[26]1952
DestroyedAnne BouverieThomas HudsonColeshill House fire[26]1952
DestroyedMary BouverieThomas HudsonColeshill House fire[26]1952
DestroyedFresco of The Translation of the Holy House of LoretoGianbattista TiepoloIn the Church of the Scalzi, VeniceAustrian shelling in World War I1915
Destroyedc. 1754Frescoes glorifying the Soderini familyGianbattista Tiepolo and Giandomenico TiepoloVilla Soderini, Nervesa della Battaglia, in the VenetoItalo-Austrian engagement in World War I, June 15–19[46]1918Photographs survive.
MissingMars Resting ceiling paintingGianbattista TiepoloExecuted for Rinaldi's Chinese palace, Oranienbaum, RussiaTransferred to Pavlovsk for safekeeping; vanished1941
Destroyed1731The Triumph of the Arts and Sciences ceiling frescoGianbattista TiepoloPalazzo Archinto, Milan bombing[47]1943Photographs survive
Destroyed1731Apollo and Phaethon ceiling frescoGianbattista TiepoloPalazzo Archinto, Milan bombing1943
Destroyed1731Perseus and Andromeda ceiling frescoGianbattista TiepoloPalazzo Archinto, Milan bombing1943
Destroyed1731Juno with Fortuna and Venus ceiling frescoGianbattista TiepoloPalazzo Archinto, Milan bombing1943
Destroyed1761Triumph of Hercules ceiling frescoGianbattista TiepoloPainted for the principal salon of the Palazzo Canossa, VeronaReduced to fragments by bombing in the Second World War1945
DestroyedNativitySir Joshua ReynoldsBelvoir Castle fire[48]1816
DestroyedThe Infant JupiterSir Joshua ReynoldsBelvoir Castle fire1816
DestroyedGeneral James OglethorpeSir Joshua ReynoldsBelvoir Castle fire1816
Destroyed1766David Garrick leaning on a bust of ShakespeareGainsboroughPainted for the Stratford Shakespeare JubileeFire at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall[49]1946Known from engravings and various copies
Destroyedc. 1754Wooded landscape with gipsies round a camp fire also named The GipsiesGainsboroughLost by 18311831A 1764 engraving published by John Boydell exists
Destroyed1787The Woodman and his Dog in a StormGainsboroughFire at Exton Old Park[50]1810A 1791 mezzotint by Pierre Simon exists
DestroyedCottage Children with an AssGainsboroughFire at Exton Old Park1810Survives in mezzotint
DestroyedPortrait of Sir Francis Sykes of Basildon with a groom, two horses, and a dogGainsboroughFire at the Pantechnicon warehouse, London February 13–14[51]1874
DestroyedThe Destruction of Niobe's ChildrenRichard WilsonFormerly National Gallery, LondonWorld War II1944
DestroyedNumerous colonial portraitsJohn Singleton CopleyFormerly belonging to Peter WainwrightGreat Boston Fire of 1872[52]1872
Destroyed1777Portrait of Thomas PaineCharles Willson PealeExhibited in Peale's Museum to 1854, later owned by T.B. MacDonough and the actor Joseph JeffersonFire at Joseph Jefferson's summer house in Buttermilk Bay, April 1, 1893[53]1893An engraving survives.
DestroyedBust of the composer Gluck in marbleJean-Antoine HoudonFire at the Paris Opera1873Terra cotta versions exist
Missing1781The EidophusikonPhilip James de Loutherbourg
Destroyed1784Glorification of the Giustiniani Family (fresco)Giandomenico TiepoloExecuted for the Doge's Palace, GenoaAllowed to decay and replaced by another fresco1866A preliminary sketch is in the Metropolitan Museum.
Missing1793Louis-Michel le Peletier, marquis de Saint-Fargeau on his Death BedJacques-Louis DavidExhibited with David's Marat in the courtyard of the Louvre,16 October 1793An engraving by Anatole Desvoges exists
Destroyed1797–98George III and the Prince of Wales Reviewing TroopsWilliam BeecheyWindsor Castle fire1992-

19th century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
Destroyed1806Don Antonio de PorcelGoyaFire in the Jockey Club, Buenos Aires1956
Missing1808A Vision of the Last JudgmentWilliam BlakeEarlier versions and sketches survive, but the final version has not been seen since the cancellation of an 1810 exhibit it was to have been part of
DestroyedSeated portrait of President WashingtonGilbert StuartLibrary of Congress fire1851
DestroyedSeated portrait of President AdamsGilbert StuartLibrary of Congress fire1851
DestroyedSeated portrait of President JeffersonGilbert StuartLibrary of Congress fire1851
DestroyedPortrait of Peyton Randolph, Speaker of the Virginia House of BurgessesCharles Willson PealeLibrary of Congress fire1851
DestroyedGeorge Washington, marble sculptureCanovaFire in the North Carolina State House, Raleigh1831The artist's plaster model survives
DestroyedThe Dream of Love (Jupiter and Io)Rembrandt PealeFire while on exhibition in New York prior to 1855, according to the artistBefore 1855
DestroyedMusidoraRembrandt PealeFire at a Philadelphia art gallery in 1850 or 18511850–51
Destroyed1807–08WinterCaspar David FriedrichGlaspalast (Munich) fire1931
Destroyed1818The FarewellCaspar David FriedrichGlaspalast (Munich) fire1931
Destroyedc. 1820The Harbor at GrifswaldCaspar David FriedrichGlaspalast (Munich) fire1931
Destroyed1824Autumn Landscape with Brush CollectorCaspar David FriedrichGlaspalast (Munich) fire1931
Destroyed1825EveningCaspar David FriedrichGlaspalast (Munich) fire1931
Destroyed1811Mountain Chapel in the MistCaspar David FriedrichFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1817–18Monastery Graveyard in the SnowCaspar David FriedrichFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1824High Mountain RegionCaspar David FriedrichFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1830–35Northern LightsCaspar David FriedrichFriedrichshain flak tower fire1945
Destroyed1807The Mouth of the ThamesTurnerWorld War II1939–45
Destroyed1830Fish Market on the SandsTurnerformerly owned by Billy RoseFire1956
Missing1850Aeneas Relating his Story to DidoTurner
Destroyed1846War and PeaceSir Edwin LandseerThames flooding the basement of the Tate Gallery, January1928
Destroyed1850sJupiter on Mount Olympus ceiling frescoMario BragaldiDone for Emperor Pedro II of BrazilNational Museum of Brazil fire2018
Fresco of Jupiter on Mount Olympus by Mario Bragaldi in the National Museum of Brazil. Picture taken a few months before the fire
Destroyed1850sJustice ceiling frescoMario BragaldiNational Museum of Brazil fire2018
Destroyed1850sFortitude ceiling frescoMario BragaldiNational Museum of Brazil fire2018
Destroyed1850sTemperance ceiling frescoMario BragaldiNational Museum of Brazil fire2018
Destroyed1850sPrudence ceiling frescoMario BragaldiNational Museum of Brazil fire2018
Missing1840–46Mississippi River PanoramaJohn BanvardCut into pieces1850–99
Destroyed1849–50Washington Crossing the Delaware (first version)Emanuel LeutzeAir raid on Bremen1942
DestroyedApotheosis of Napoleon I ceiling paintingIngresHôtel de Ville fire[54]1871
Destroyed1830The Storming of the BastilleDelaroche, PaulHôtel de Ville fire1871
Destroyed1826Justinian Drafting his LawsDelacroix, EugènePainted for the Council of State, ParisFire in the Paris Commune1871An 1855 photograph survives[55]
Destroyed1852–54Peace Consoles Mankind and Brings AbundanceDelacroix, EugèneHôtel de Ville fire1871
Destroyed1848Murals of War and PeaceThéodore ChassériauPainted for the Cour des Comptes, Palais of the Quai d'Orsay, ParisFire in the Paris Commune1871A fragment of Peace is preserved in the Louvre
Destroyed1856Napoleon IIIWinterhalter, Franz XaverTuileries Palace fire1871Models by the artist and copies exist
Destroyed1856Empress EugénieWinterhalter, Franz XaverTuileries Palace fire1871Models by the artist and copies exist
DestroyedThe Jewish Captivity in BabylonJean-François MilletSubmitted for the Paris Salon, 1848Painted over by the artist with a scene executed in Normandy1870–71
DestroyedThe Stone BreakersCourbetWorld War II, while in transit from the Dresden Gallery1939–45
Destroyed1863The Return from the ConferenceCourbetDestroyed by its owner due to its anticlerical content1909
Destroyed1864Venus and PsycheCourbetEnemy air action, Berlin, World War II1945
Missing1873–75View of Auvers-sur-OiseCézanneAshmolean Museum theft1999
View of Auvers-sur-Oise by Paul Cézanne
Destroyed1882Donkey Cart with Boy and Scheveningen WomanVan GoghFormerly in RotterdamFire1940
Destroyed1885The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen with Pond and FiguresVan GoghFire in Rotterdam during World War II1939–45
Missing1885The ApparitionJames TissotLostA mezzotint by the artist exists
Destroyed1886Windmill on MontmartreVan GoghFire1967
Destroyed1888Still Life: Vase with Five SunflowersVan GoghFormerly in the collection of Koyata Yamamoto, JapanAmerican air raids on Ashiya District, August 5–6[56]1945
Destroyed1888The Painter on his Way to WorkVan GoghFormerly in the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum, BerlinFire in World War II1939–45
Destroyed1888The Park at Arles with the Entrance Seen Through the TreesVan GoghFire in World War II1939–45
Missing1888The Lovers: The Poet's Garden IVVan GoghDeclared degenerate and confiscated by the Nazis, Whereabouts unknown1937
DestroyedThe New JerusalemGeorge InnessPartial collapse of Madison Square Garden[57]1880Salvaged fragments survive, including Valley of the Olive Trees in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
Destroyed1895Portrait of French playwright Alfred JarryHenri RousseauDestroyed by the sitter, who disliked it
Missing1891-2Diana (Saint Gaudens) bronze sculpture (first version)Augustus Saint-GaudensDesigned to crown the Madison Square Garden towerReplaced by the artist with a lighter, smaller copper version
DestroyedHead of Sir Henry IrvingJohn Singer SargentDestroyed by the sitter, who disliked it
Presumed Destroyedc. 1899Portrait of Thomas EakinsWilliam Merritt ChasePresumed destroyed by the sitter
Missing1886Hen with Sapphire PendantFabergéRussian Revolution1922
Missing1888Cherub with ChariotFabergéRussian Revolution1922
Missing1889Necessaire eggFabergéRussian Revolution1922
Missing1898Mauve eggFabergéRussian Revolution1922
Missing1899Furor TeutonicusPaja JovanovićAn over 20 square meter painting last seen at the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts (where the painting was also known as Los Barbaros)Lost sometime between 1911 and World War II1911–39A heliogravure copy and an oil canvas sketch survive at the Belgrade City Museum.[58]

20th century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
Destroyed1898Musik IIGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1899Schubert at the PianoGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1899Portrait of Serena LedererGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1899–1907MedicineGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1899–1907PhilosophyGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1899–1907JurisprudenceGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1903Golden Apple TreeGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1903Procession of the DeadGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Missing1903Royal Danish EggFabergéRussian Revolution1922
Missing1909Alexander III Commemorative EggFabergéRussian Revolution1922
Destroyed1910Composition IWassily KandinskyDestroyed in British air raid on Braunschweig, Germany1944Known from photographs
Destroyed1910Tammany Hall at NightJohn SloanFire, during transitThe artist later created a replica from photographs
Missing1910Nu à la cheminéeJean Metzinger1910 Salon d'AutomneBlack & white images survive
Destroyed1911–12Farm Garden with CrucifixGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945Color images survive
Missing1911–12Man with a PipeJean MetzingerExhibition of Cubist and Futurist Pictures, Boggs & Buhl, 1913, New YorkMissing from Lawrence University since 1998, having disappeared while in transit on loan.[59]1998Images survive
Presumed destroyed1911–12Groupe de femmes (Groupe de trois femmes)Joseph Csaky1912 Salon d'Automne, 1913 Salon des Indépendants, ParisWent missing during the First World WarBlack & white images survive
Presumed destroyed1912Danseuse, (Femme à l'éventail)Joseph Csaky1912 Salon d'Automne, Paris, Galerie Moos, Geneva, 1920Black & white images survive
Destroyed1912La Vie Familiale (Family Life)Alexander Archipenko1912 Salon d'Automne, 1913 Armory Show, New YorkDestroyed in Paris during the First World War bombardmentBlack & white images survive
Missing1912Paysage près de Paris (Landschaft bei Paris)Albert GleizesHannoverConfiscated by the Nazis around 1937[60][61]1937Black & white image survive
Destroyed1912[62]Rood screen, with sixteen paintingsNinian ComperPart of St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate, City of London[63]Bishopsgate bombing1993Black & white images survive
Presumed destroyed1913Head (Tête d'homme)Joseph Csaky1913 Salon des Indépendants, Paris, Galerie Moos, Geneva, 1920Black & white images survive
Missing1913En Canot (In Boot) Jean MetzingerKronprinzenpalais, Nationalgalerie, BerlinConfiscated by the Nazis around 1936, displayed at the Degenerate Art Exhibition in Munich and other cities, 1937–38, missing ever since.[64]1937-38Black & white images survive
Destroyed1913Malcesine on Lake GardaGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945Color images survive
Destroyed1916Garden Path with ChickensGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945Color images survive
Destroyed1916Portrait of WallyGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1916–17The GirlfriendsGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945Color images survive
Destroyed1917LedaGustav KlimtFormerly in the Lederer family collection, ViennaSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Destroyed1917GasteinGustav KlimtSchloss Immendorf fire1945
Lost1917Fountain (Duchamp)Marcel Duchamp1918Black & white images survive
Destroyed1925Water Lilies (major study)Claude MonetMuseum of Modern Art (MoMA) fire1958[65]
Destroyed1925Water Lilies (small study)Claude MonetMuseum of Modern Art (MoMA) fire1961
Destroyed1933Man at the Crossroads muralDiego RiveraNelson Rockefeller commissioned the workRockefeller was offended (it included a portrait of Lenin) and had it removed1934Rivera later recreated the work as Man, Controller of the Universe in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
Missing1936The TrenchOtto DixExhibited at the 1937 Degenerate Art ExhibitNazi Plunder1937[66]
Destroyed1936Haile Selassie bustHilda SeligmanOriginally located in the house in Wimbledon, London where Selassie lived in exile; moved to nearby Cannizaro Park in 1957Destroyed by protesters; the vandalism was linked to unrest in Ethiopia and persecution of the Oromo people2020[67]
Presumed destroyed1937The Reaper a large mural on panels depicting a Catalan peasantJoan MiróCreated for the Spanish Republican pavilion of the 1937 Paris ExpositionSubsequently, sent to Valencia, where it was presumably destroyed1937Photographs of the installed mural exist
Destroyed1944The Seven Lively Arts a series of seven paintingsSalvador DaliFor Billy RoseFire1956Known only from photographs
Destroyed1940–46Works housed in his studioArshile GorkyArshile Gorky Studio Fire1946
Destroyed1940–4615 WorksArshile GorkyAmerican Airlines Flight 1 plane crash1962
Destroyed1947Corn Belt CityEdward HopperPark Avenue apartment fire1975
Destroyed1954Portrait of Winston ChurchillGraham SutherlandDeliberately destroyed by the Churchills’ private secretary1954Color photographs survive
Destroyed1956Some 20 works created on camera and then deliberately destroyed for the documentary Le Mystère Picasso (The Mystery of Picasso)Pablo Picasso1956
Destroyed1909-12Cubist HeadPablo PicassoMuseum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro fire[7]1978
Destroyed1937Portrait of Dora MaarPablo PicassoMuseum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro fire[7]1978
Missing1950–53Study after Velázquez IIIFrancis BaconThird in a series of portraits after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1650Thought destroyed by the artist until the first two surfaced in 1999[68]1953
Destroyed1967Untitled Wall Relief, an acrylic lacquer on Plexiglas pieceCraig KauffmanFell off the wall at the Pompidou Center of Paris and shattered on July 162006[69]
Destroyed1971Untitled piece, molded polyester resin workPeter AlexanderFell and shattered at the Pompidou Center of Paris in April 20062006[69]
Destroyed1971World Trade Center Stabile a 25' red steel sculptureAlexander CalderWorld Trade Center Collapse2001[70]
Destroyed1972World Trade Center Plaza SculptureMasayuki NagareSurvived the initial collapse of the buildings, and was destroyed during cleanup.World Trade Center Collapse2001[70]
Destroyed1973The World Trade Center Tapestry a 20' x 35' tapestryJoan Miró, Josep RoyoHung in the South Tower LobbyWorld Trade Center Collapse2001[70]
Destroyed1971–72 or 1974–76One painting from The Entablature SeriesRoy LichtensteinWorld Trade Center Collapse2001
Destroyed1974IdeogramJames RosatiWorld Trade Center Collapse2001[70]
Destroyed1978Sky Gate, New YorkLouise NevelsonWorld Trade Center Collapse2001[70]
Destroyed1978The Chartist Mural, a 115 by 12 feet mosaic mural in Newport, WalesKenneth BuddDeliberately destroyed in October to make way for new development[71]2013
Presumed destroyed1982The Pearl Monument, which stood in the center of the Pearl Roundabout, BahrainIt was torn down by the Bahraini government on 18 March because it had been a focal point for protesters2011
Missing1984Hole and Vessel wood and cement sculptureAnish KapoorDiscovered missing from its storage unit2004
Missing1986Equal-Parallel/Guernica-Bengasi a 38-ton metal sculptureRichard SerraFormerly displayed at the Reina Sofia museumCould not be located in 2006[72][73]2006
Destroyed1989Goddess of DemocracyStudents of the Central Academy of Fine ArtsDestroyed by The People's Liberation Army during the Tiananmen Square protests of 19891989
Destroyed1993"House" an enormous temporary sculptureRachel WhitereadRemoved by London Borough of Tower Hamlets council on 11 January1994
Destroyed1901–73The PainterPablo PicassoSwissair Flight 111 Plane Crash1998
Destroyed1995The World Trade Center Memorial, 1993Elyn ZimmermanWorld Trade Center Collapse2001[70]
Destroyed1995Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 ("The Tent")Tracey EminMomart fire2004
Dismantled1981Tilted ArcRichard SerraDismantled and removed1989

21st century

List of notable lost artworks
Status Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Commission/provenance note Loss event Year lost (est.) Surviving copies and documentation
Dismantled2005B of the BangThomas HeatherwickDismantled and removed; parts remain in storage2009

List of notable finds

Notable finds
Year found Year lost (est.) Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Loss event
150627 BC-68 ADLaocoön and His SonsAgesander, Athenodoros and PolydorusFall of the Roman Empire, destruction of Emperor Titus' palace
1920[74]182613th centurySt Mary's Abbey FigurineN/ADisappeared; was found in a private art collection in Aachen
199018021602The Taking of ChristCaravaggioMisattribution by descendants of the original owner, Ciriaco Mattei
199919531950–53Study after Velázquez IFrancis BaconThought destroyed by the artist[68]
199919531950–53Study after Velázquez IIFrancis BaconThought destroyed by the artist[68]
200019451862Femme nue couchéeGustave CourbetSoviet looting of Budapest
20081750–18001595Francesco St JeromePalma GiovaneUnknown
2009[75]19291920Sleeping Lady with Black VaseRobert BerenyStolen. Recovered after inadvertently being used as a prop in the film Stuart Little
201020001882Beach in PourvilleMonetNational Museum, Poznań theft
201216951634Magistrate of Brussels oil sketchVan DyckOverpainting
201219221887Third Imperial EggFabergéRussian Revolution
20121945N/A2012 Munich artworks discoveryN/AWorld War II
2014[76]19701889Fruits on a table or still life with a small dogGauguinTerrence Kennedy residence, London, theft
2016[77]20021882View of the Sea at ScheveningenVan Gogh2002 Van Gogh Museum theft
2016[77]20021884Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in NuenenVan Gogh2002 Van Gogh Museum theft

List of notable disputed finds

Notable disputed finds
Year found Year lost (est.) Creation date(s) (est.) Known as Creator Loss event
2014[78]1700[79]1604-05[78]Judith Beheading HolofernesCaravaggioUnknown

See also

References

Notes

  1. "FBI — Art Theft". FBI.
  2. Houpt, Simon (2006). Museum of the Missing: The High Stakes of Art Crime. Key Porter Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-316-1.
  3. Stockdale, James (1872). Annales Caermoelenses or Annals of Cartmel. London: Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 425–429. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Annales Caermoelensis.
  4. Lambourne, Nicola (2001). War Damage in Western Europe: The Destruction of Historic Monuments During the Second World War. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-1285-8.
  5. Simpson, Elizabeth (1997). The Spoils of War--World War II and Its Aftermath: The Loss, Reappearance, and Recovery of Cultural Property. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., and The Bard Graduate Center. ISBN 0-8109-4469-3.
  6. Norris, Christopher (December 1952). "The Disaster at Flakturm Friedrichshain: a Chronicle and List of Paintings". The Burlington Magazine. XCIV (597).
  7. "Replacement of Art in Rio is Uncertain". Reading Eagle. AP. 14 Dec 1978. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  8. "National Stolen Art File". fbi.gov. FBI. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  9. Calvin Tomkins, Duchamp: A Biography, Museum of Modern Art, 2014, p. 186 ISBN 0870708929
  10. Louis Viardot, An Illustrated History of Painters of All Schools (1877), p. 42. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  11. David G. Wilkins, "Donatello's Lost Dovizia for the Mercato Vecchio: Wealth and Charity as Florentine Civic Virtues," The Art Bulletin, vol.65, Issue 3 (1983),pp.401-23. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
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Books

Journals

  • Norris, Christopher (December 1952). "The Disaster at Flakturm Friedrichshain: a Chronicle and List of Paintings". The Burlington Magazine. XCIV (597).

News

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