You might think that someone working in a museum would be the most invested in protecting artwork and ensuring its safety. Think again.

I thought, since we talk so much on here about heists and missing artworks, so I figured it was time to talk about the people that work to recover these pieces safe and sound, mostly. Let’s delve into the interesting history of one such person who is sometimes called the Indiana Jones of the art world.

In 2019 there was a really shitty theft (sorry, I had to) at Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s birthplace. How did an item as big and as connected to the infrastructure of the house even get removed and how do we go about getting it back?

One of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings, Madonna of the Yarnwinder or Buccleuch Madonna, depicts the Virgin Mary and Christ child looking at a tool used to wind yarn. This painting might not be his most famous but it was incredibly influential on later paintings of the Madonna and child. So when it was stolen, it caused quite the uproar. 

Today we’re talking about a story involving looting, false provenance, and ancient Egyptian artifacts. This whole story isn’t resolved yet so here’s what we know so far.

In Edmonton, Alberta, Canada there is a massive piece of public art called The Talus Dome (or sometimes called The Talus Balls). It’s made up of hundreds of silver balls stacked into a pile, so how did someone end up trapped inside?

How did a hippie who was drifting around the world aimlessly pull off what some call the biggest, most lucrative scam in the art world? And how did he finally get caught? Let’s explore it together and find out.

In the Church of San Vincenzo in Modena, Italy there is a masterpiece of a painting. Created between 1629-1630 by Italian artist Guercino, this is considered to be one of his best and most important works. So how did it disappear in 2014 with no signs of forced entry?

We’ve talked before about the trap that art thieves can sometimes fall into of having an incredibly valuable work in their possession but being unable to cash in on that value, well this story takes that to the extreme.

Now, I know that art isn’t necessarily the first thing you think about when you think of Taco Bell but please bear with me. There is a recently uncovered thriving black market for the artwork that you’d find in these fast food restaurants, let’s talk about it.

When we think about climate change we normally think about effects to cities, the environment, animals, and humans. But what about art? What about the things that humans have created and have been preserved and cared for for hundreds of years? While not a crime in the classic sense, how is art expected to survive?

In 1978 there was an art heist where 12 paintings were stolen, to this day only 3 of them have been recovered but that might be about to change.

Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology is the largest, most visited, and arguably the most significant museum in the country. It houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Mexican art and artifacts. So when a huge number of those artifacts go missing, it causes a stir.

This week we’re exploring controversy more than pure crime. Pussy Riot is a Russian performance art group that are known for their strong and provocative stances on issues including feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and politics.

In 1972 four paintings were stolen in broad daylight from the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts. One of them was a Picasso, which has a dramatic life story that stretches well beyond this heist.

Today we’re discussing an interesting case that talks about some things we’ve discussed here in the past; freedom of expression, intent vs. perception, and controversy. I don’t want to scoop myself so let’s just dive in.

Three years ago one of the rarest and most expensive (think millions of dollars) coins in the world was auctioned off. Now, an investigation has gone on into the provenance of this coin and the validity of its history.

We’ve covered stories on here about people stealing art to be used as leverage to release people from jail or secure bail and you might think this is a similar situation. Well, my answer to that is yes and no.

In Australia there is an extremely ironic and interesting case happening as of the writing of this article (March 2024) where a man is suing an artist for gender discrimination over a piece drawing attention to, you guessed it, gender discrimination.

On November 18, 2011, the Clyfford Still Museum was founded in Denver, Colorado. On December 29 of that same year, just over a month later, one of his iconic paintings hanging in the museum was deliberately vandalized.