Charlotte Foster
Art

5 of the most valuable stolen artworks that are still at large

Valuable artwork around the world has been stolen in daring heists over the years, by those brave, and foolish enough to attempt the high-stakes robberies.

In years past, stolen works of art have been lost or hidden, and remain at large to this day.

These classic works are valued at millions of dollars each, with art collectors and historians alike working to track them down. 

While there are hundreds out there, take a look at just five of these stunning works of valuable art, and keep your eyes open for them!


1. The Concert by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer

Image credit: Johannes Vermeer

In March 1990, two men walked into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston adorned in police uniforms and left with over half a billion dollars worth of art. 

One of the pieces they stole was The Concert by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, who only ever painted 34 artworks. 

The painting was valued at $333 million dollars, making it one of the most valuable paintings ever sold.

2.The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt van Rijn

Image credit: Rembrandt van Rijn

Among those also stolen in the Boston museum heist of 1990 was The Storm on the Sea by Galilee, painted by Rembrant van Rijn in 1633.

The painting captures the Bible story of the disciples desperately trying to control a boat in a challenging storm. 

The estimated value of the painting is $133 million.

3. Poppy Flowers by Vincent van Gogh

Image credit: Vincent Van Gogh

One person was arrested for the theft of Van Gogh’s Poppy Flowers, but not the person who stole it. 

Instead Egypt's Deputy Culture Minister Mohsen Shaalan was jailed in 2010 for gross negligence when the painting was snatched from Cairo's Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum.

The artwork, which had already been stolen once before, is valued at $73 million.

4. View of Auvers-sur-Oise by Paul Cezanne

Image credit: Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne's View of Auvers-sur-Oise was snatched on New Years’ Eve 1999 from a museum at Oxford University.

The thieves relied on a smoke bomb, and the fact that everyone was reigning in the new year, to slip away undetected. 

The artwork is valued at $5.5 million. 

5. The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen by Vincent van Gogh






Image credit: Vincent van Gogh

This van Gogh painting was stolen from a museum in The Netherlands in March 2020; just after the beginning of the pandemic.

The thief used a sledgehammer on the glass doors of the gallery and disappeared with the artwork before the police arrived. 

A man was arrested for the robbery in April this year, but the artwork was never recovered and is currently valued at $9 million.

 

Tags:
Art, stolen, Vincent van Gogh, rembrandt, johannes vermeer, paul cezanne