(In Pics) Ten Stolen Works of Art that have Never Been Recovered

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Human history has produced an extraordinary outpouring of expression and creativity, from the magical cave paintings of Lascaux in France to the stark and strange explorations of Picasso and Dali. Such works of art have, in the main, been preserved carefully for the enjoyment of future generations.

Sadly, though, such items are also extremely valuable, and over the years many have been stolen, lost from the public eye. With thefts such as the Isabella Gardner Museum heist in Boston, perhaps the most significant loss of art in history (certainly from a monetary perspective), many priceless artifacts have been lost to us.

Here are ten of the most valuable and irreplaceable works of art which have been stolen and never recovered.

1. The Concert by Johannes Vermeer

*Speaking of the Gardner Museum Theft, one of the most valuable paintings stolen was by* *Dutch* *painter Johannes Vermeer. Vermeer painted very few paintings, and The Concert is today considered the most valuable missing artwork in the world, worth some $250 million (Johannes Vermeer /* *Public Domain*)

2. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt

Another priceless painting stolen from the Isabella Gardner Museum is this painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. Painted in 1633, it is Rembrandt’s only depiction of the sea, the artist being better known for his portraiture. It depicts the disciples panicking at a stormy sea which threatens to swamp their boat. Only *Jesus, on the right, remains calm (Rembrandt /* *Public Domain*)

3. The View of Auvers sur Oise by Cezanne

*A fine example of Cezanne’s style and ability to capture the light,* The View of Auvers sur Oise was stolen from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day 2000, the *thieves* presumably hoping that the celebrations would afford them cover. The painting was the only one stolen in the theft, leading police to believe it was stolen to order and may currently be hidden in a private collection (Paul Cezanne / *Public Domain*)

4. Poppy Flowers by Vincent van Gogh

*Valued at $55 million, this painting has in fact been stolen twice from the Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum in* *Cairo*. The first theft, in 1977, led to the painting’s recovery after a decade after its discovery in Kuwait. The second theft occurred in 2010 and the painting has never been seen since. A reward of $175,000 is offered for its return (Vincent van Gogh / *Public Domain*)

5. Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence by Caravaggio

*Painted in 1609 by Italian master Caravaggio, one of the last paintings he completed, this depiction of the Nativity of Jesus was on display in the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo,* *Italy* *when it was stolen in 1969. The enormous painting was cut from its frame and authorities believe it was wrapped in a carpet, also stolen from the Oratory.* *Mafia* *involvement is suspected, and the painting is also feared to have been destroyed (Caravaggio /* *Public Domain*)

6. Le pigeon aux petits pois by Pablo Picasso

Le pigeon aux petits pois (Pigeon with peas) from 1907 is an example from Picasso’s early Cubism, and was stolen along with four other paintings in 2010 from the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de *Paris*. The paintings are together valued at $123 million, however, as an early cubist experiment and an example of Picasso learning to break the established rules of painting, it is irreplaceable. The thief was caught, but the painting has never been found (Pablo Picasso / *PD-US*)

7. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt

*Painted in Klimt’s experimental, proto-mixed-media style of his Golden Period made famous by his masterpiece* The Kiss, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I perhaps does not even belong on this list, for it is not missing and in fact its provenance is relatively secure. However this painting was stolen in 1941 by the *Nazis* *from Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, whose wife’s portrait this is. The painting is currently on display in* *New York* *and has never been returned (Gustav Klimt /* *Public Domain*)

8. Portrait of a Young Man by Raphael

*More Nazi shenanigans here, with this portrait by the Italian Renaissance master Raphael stolen from a castle in* *Poland* *during the Second World War. It is considered by many to be the most important painting to have gone missing since* *WW2. It is believed to be a self-portrait, and because of the date of its theft no color pictures exist. The above picture has been colorized and the tints used are partially guesswork (Raphael /* *Public Domain*)

9. Girl in Front of Open Window by Paul Gauguin

*This was one of seven paintings stolen from the Kunsthal art museum in Rotterdam in 2012, along with several studies of* *London* *bridges by Monet and paintings by Jacob Meijer de Haan, Matisse and Lucien Freud. The suspects, who apparently met on Tinder, were arrested in* *Romania* *the following year. It is feared that the paintings were burnt (Paul Gauguin /* *Public Domain*)

10. The White Duck by Jean-Baptiste Oudry

*This still life by the 18th century French Rococo painter Jean-Baptiste Oudry was stolen from Houghton Hall in* *Norfolk, seat of the Marquis of Cholmondeley, in 1992, where it was in the family’s private collection. Taking advantage of nearby fireworks, the thief filled the room containing the painting with* *smoke* *to disguise his entry, and the painting has never been seen since (Jean-Baptiste Oudry /* *Public Domain*)

(Bonus) The Portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Fracisco de Goya

*This painting is another which perhaps doesn’t belong on the list, as it is currently on display in the National Gallery in* *London. However it deserves a mention due to its cameo in the first James Bond film,* Dr. No. As Sean Connery walks through Dr. No’s secret lair (timestamp 1.25.07) he pauses as he spots this painting standing on an easel. In 1962, when the film came out, the painting was indeed missing, having been stolen in 1961 and not recovered until 1965. The replica used on filming was ironically itself stolen after production wrapped (Francisco de Goya / *Public Domain*)

Top Image: There are many stolen artworks that remain unrecovered, some worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Source. Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock.

By Joseph Green

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Joseph Green

Joseph Green is editor for Historic Mysteries, which combines his background in English Literature with a lifelong fascination for the strange and the unexplained. Read More