Renoir Theft in Houston
This is another unsolved mystery and it is on the FBI’s top 10 list of unsolved art theft crimes. A Renoir oil painting was stolen in 2011 and the perpetrator has completely baffled police. No clues and no leads have come up, this one is short and sweet but intriguing.
The Theft
I’m just going to jump right into the actual crime today, I’ll give you some context on the painting that was stolen afterwards. Gotta keep you on your toes.
On September 8, 2011, the owner of a large, expensive house in Houston Texas (obviously with an impressive art collection) was hanging out upstairs watching TV when she heard a loud noise downstairs. She went down to investigate and was confronted with a man wearing a ski mask. The man is described as a white male, 18-26 years old, who weighs about 160lbs and is about 5 foot 10. Also, he was armed with a large-calibre semi-automatic handgun. So all things considered, pretty intimidating.
The intruder asked the homeowner for diamonds and money but instead, she suggested Renoir’s Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair which was hanging in the stairwell of her home. Conveniently right by where they were standing. She said later that she did this because her son was sleeping upstairs and she wanted to get this man out of her home as quickly as possible. She sold the painting to him as her most valuable, available asset. The rest of her extensive art collection was elsewhere in the house but this Renoir was easily accessible to the thief who took it down from the wall, frame and all and made off with it into the night.
That’s literally all we know about the theft.
What Do the Police Think?
Great question. Of course, the police were called and they came to investigate this crime but they were quickly at a loss. There were no clues left at the scene, only the description of the man from the homeowner, and no leads.
The police initially thought that this was a planned art theft, though not sure why the thief would first ask for diamonds and money. They think that because he took just the Renoir and nothing else in the collection, it would suggest that he already knew what else was in the house and had his sights set on Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair. This kind of doesn’t make sense to me because he initially requested diamonds and money and the homeowner herself suggested the painting. If his plan was to take it all along why wouldn’t he just go straight for it?
It’s also worth noting, just because it’s odd, that the thief took the painting in the frame. This causes a couple of problems for him, the first and most obvious being it's a lot harder to carry and a lot more noticeable when making a getaway. The second is that it’s a lot harder to store and conceal in a big chunky frame. Thirdly, and most importantly, is that art that’s still in its original frame is a lot easier to identify and confirm the authenticity of should someone have seen him or see the painting after the fact.
Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair hasn’t been seen since 2011 and there is currently a $50,000 reward being offered by a mystery private insurer for information leading to the painting’s recovery. The painting is estimated to be worth $1 million. There were a few shady border crossings and some leads initially but ultimately the police found nothing and they have nothing to go on at this point.
Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair
Now I’ll give a little information on this painting, though there’s not much again. Pierre Auguste Renoir painted Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair in 1918. The model that sat for this painting was one of Renoir’s favourites, French actress Catherine Hessling (whose real name was Andrée Madeleine Heuschling). She was married to Renoir’s son Jean who was a film director.
Now What?
So basically there’s the reward and the FBI has the painting on their list of top 10 unsolved art theft crimes in the hopes that someone will report something. If the painting was ever recovered it would either go back into the private stairwell where it came from or it would join the relocated collection in the Vaughan Christopher Gallery. So keep your eyes peeled people, that $50,000 could be yours.
Works Cited:
Marriner, Derdriu. “Renoir Oil Painting Theft in Houston, Texas Unsolved from Sept 8, 2011”. Earth and Space News. 2017. https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/09/renoir-oil-painting-theft-in-houston.html
“Reward Offered for Stolen Renoir Painting”. FBI. 2012. https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/new-top-ten-art-crime