A Matisse painting stolen sometime before 2002, no one knows where it went or who is responsible. Then in 2012 an arrest is made but, here’s the kicker, to this day no one has been charged with actually stealing the painting.

The Thinker is easily Auguste Rodin’s most famous sculpture. It depicts a man sitting with his chin on his fist lost in thought, as the name would suggest. There is an enlarged cast of the original sculpture in Cleveland and it was this reproduction that was attacked one night in 1970. 

Honestly, this is a pretty interesting case. We have a heist called “the theft of the century” to talk about and then we can dive into a little more of what the police have found out and come all the way up to (almost) today and see where the pieces are now.

In 1973 in Cincinnati two Rembrandts were stolen. This may seem from the outset like a run-of-the-mill art heist but I promise you it is anything but. Buckle in for the twists and turns that come with this one.

I am excited to bring you something that is happening now and currently unfolding. The only downside is that I don’t have all the answers yet so we will all have to wait and see where this investigation goes. Basically, the FBI removed 25 Basquiat paintings on display in Orlando in June. But why?

A bit of a spoiler in the title but I’m excited to be able to deliver a happy ending for once. It’s also interesting to look at the work that goes into recovering a missing artwork and how much had to be done for the police, in this case, by passionate historians. 

The Nazca Lines are a series of giant geoglyphs found in the Peruvian coastal plain about 400km south of Lima. How were they created? Why were they created? Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 these giant creations are a mystery to researchers.

This is a bit of a rollercoaster. I am going to spoil it for you a little and tell you that the painting has been recovered but how was it able to be stolen and why is a nosey gas station attendant the key to the thief’s capture? I’ll tell you!

I know you’re thinking that this is a click bait title but I promise this is a real thing that art history scholars have been looking into. Spoiler, the world hasn’t ended but it’s interesting to examine the symbols and their meanings which lead to this conclusion.

Folk artist Maud Lewis from Nova Scotia didn’t get to enjoy fame or riches from her paintings during her lifetime. In the past few years, however, her work is gaining popularity and as the value of the pieces go up, sadly, so does the likelihood of theft.

For OG readers you’ll remember that one of the first posts ever was about the slashing of Newman’s Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow, and Blue III but he actually had two other instances of people attacking his works.

Being one of the most, if not the most, iconic painting in the world comes with a bit of a target for vandals and attackers. People think that attacking the Mona Lisa will bring attention to them and to their cause. Maybe that’s why it’s been targeted so many times.

Note that I said robberieS in the title, not just robbery. This painting by van Gogh has been stolen not once but twice from the same museum in Egypt. How was the painting recovered the first time and how was it allowed to be stolen again? Where is it now?

Anish Kapoor’s Dirty Corner is a modern art installation that used to be housed in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles until these incidents. This sculpture was vandalized twice. For what reason? Why did this spur such a heated debate about what is able to be displayed as public art and who gets to decide?

Sometimes referred to as one of the most successful thieves in Canadian history, John Tillman made a name for himself stealing. Really anything he could get his hands on but he especially targeted precious books, artefacts, and works of art amassing over 10,000 items in his home in Nova Scotia.

Note the all-important question mark here. This controversial painting has been authenticated and then disputed and debated over and over again. Let’s investigate whether we think this is a legit van Gogh or not.

On New Year’s Eve 1999 everyone in Oxford England was partying, enjoying fireworks, and celebrating the new millennium. Actually, let me correct that, almost everyone. That night, using the festivities as cover, someone, or someones, stole Cézanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise and it’s never been seen again.

This week is going to be a little different, going to be discussing artist (scammer?? bootlegger??) Eric Doeringer. He isn’t in any trouble and hasn’t done anything wrong technically but his trade is copying art from other artists and selling those copies as copies for his own profit. Lots to unpack. 

Stephen Hahn was a respected gallery owner and art dealer in New York City, he frequently talked about being on the cutting edge of safety and security for the pieces that he had for sale. Unfortunately, he was proven wrong one night in 1969 when seven works were stolen from him.

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, where could the painting be?