Nearly 50 gold sculptures worth over $1.3 million created by Italian sculptor Umberto Mastroianni were stolen from an exhibition near Lake Garda, Italy. One piece was found, but 48 remain missing. The exhibition, "Like a warm, flowing gold," was scheduled to close on Friday. Investigations are ongoing, and the head of the estate believes the theft was the work of a highly specialized gang.
A stolen 18th century British painting, "The Schoolmistress" by John Opie, has been returned to the family that originally owned it after being stolen by New Jersey mobsters in 1969. The painting, purchased during the Great Depression, was recovered by the FBI in Utah and returned to Dr. Francis Wood, the son of the original owner. The painting, with a tumultuous history involving organized crime, is now being cleaned and appraised, and is in relatively good condition despite its long journey.
A painting stolen from Germany during World War II has been returned after being missing for over 78 years. The FBI recovered the artwork, titled "Landscape of Italian Character," and returned it to the Alte Pinakothek museum in Munich. The painting, created by Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer in the early 18th century, was found in the possession of a Chicago resident whose uncle had obtained it after serving in the war. The recovery was facilitated by Art Recovery International, and the painting will now be displayed alongside another work by Lauterer at the museum. This is not the first time stolen artwork has been recovered from US soldiers who served in World War II.
A baroque landscape painting by Austrian artist Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer, stolen during World War II, has been returned to Germany after being located by Art Recovery International. The painting, titled "Landscape of Italian Character," was handed over by the FBI to a German museum representative in Chicago. The artwork had been missing since 1945 and was reported stolen from the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It will now be reunited with its counterpart and displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The recovery of the painting is a rare moment, and it will be carefully restored by the museum.
Stolen ancient treasures, including a 2,500-year-old Greek amphora and a stolen red fish plate, have been found at an Australian university's classics museum. Italian art detectives, working with the university, discovered the looted works and are collaborating to return them to Italy. The amphora, purchased by the university in 1984, was believed to have been illegally plundered and smuggled to Australia. The university also found a Roman marble head that belonged to the Vatican's collection. Discussions on repatriation and restitution of ancient artifacts have gained prominence globally, and the Australian National University aims to lead in best practices for managing such cases.
Manhattan prosecutors have seized three artworks by Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele from three out-of-state museums, claiming they were stolen from a Jewish art collector who was a Holocaust victim and rightfully belong to the collector's heirs. The artworks, valued at millions of dollars, were seized from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College. The seizures shift the art recovery cases from civil court to criminal court and could set new precedents in the field of Holocaust art restitution.
A stolen Vincent van Gogh painting, "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," has been returned to the Netherlands by a tipster who handed it over to a private Dutch art crimes detective. The painting, stolen in March 2020, was found encased in Bubble Wrap and tucked in an Ikea bag. The thieves involved in the theft had already been arrested and convicted, so they could not have returned the painting themselves. The artwork will now be restored and returned to its original home, the Groninger Museum.
A stolen Van Gogh painting, "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," has been recovered after a three-and-a-half-year search. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand received the 139-year-old painting in an Ikea bag from a man who came to his front door. The painting, worth several million euros, was stolen from a Dutch museum in March 2020. The thief, who was convicted and jailed for eight years, had sold the painting to a crime group. The recovered artwork has been confirmed as authentic and will be repaired before going back on display at the Van Gogh museum.
On the 33rd anniversary of the infamous art heist at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the stolen works of art, including pieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and Manet, remain missing. The FBI believes it knows who was behind the theft but has not revealed the suspect's name. The museum continues to investigate any leads related to the case, and a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen art remains available.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston closed on its 33rd anniversary due to a planned protest by climate activists that museum authorities feared would damage the works of art. The closure comes on the anniversary of the infamous heist in which thieves disguised as Boston police officers stole 13 pieces of art worth at least $500 million. The museum is offering a $10 million reward for any information that leads to the return of the stolen works. All individuals who purchased advanced tickets will be refunded.
