Art theft

Two paintings that were stolen from Peruvian church are returned

Prior to their seizure, the paintings had been offered to the auction house Doyle for consignment

The Van Gogh painting that was stolen—and recovered in an Ikea bag—goes on show

Research reveals that the artist began the work as a winter scene and transformed it into a spring landscape

Instagram-famous Australian gallerist charged with nine counts of theft

Tove Langridge faces up to five years in prison if convicted in the criminal case

Booksfeature

Missing Mona Lisa: the story behind the 1911 theft of Leonardo’s masterpiece

The author of a new book tells us why it was stolen and how Picasso got embroiled in the scandal

Hammer-wielding thieves steal $100,000 Chagall print from Manhattan gallery

The theft from Carlton Fine Arts on Madison Avenue has led the gallery’s owner to beef up his security systems, at great expense

British Museum releases further details of independent review into thefts

The review team will now liaise with the police for the criminal investigation

Six paintings stolen from a Dutch town hall left on art detective's doorstep

Arthur Brand, who helped to recover a Van Gogh painting last month, says he was watching a "boring football game" when the surprising delivery was made

Hobby Lobby’s lawsuit against papyrus scholar changes venues

The company’s case against Oxford-based American papyrist Dirk D. Obbink revolves around ancient papyrus fragments it purchased for its Washington, DC institution, the Museum of the Bible

$1.5m bronze Buddha statue stolen from Los Angeles gallery

A single thief allegedly maneuvered the 250-pound sculpture, dating from Japan’s Edo Period, out of the Barakat Gallery’s backyard and into a rental truck

Recovering the stolen Van Gogh: the museum director recalls the emotional moment

Seized in a violent raid in 2020, returned in a blue Ikea bag—now being bought back from the insurer

'Handed over in an Ikea bag': art detective recovers Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum

Three years ago, 'The Parsonage garden at Nuenen in Spring' was taken in a smash-and-grab raid in Laren

Thefts at the British Museum prompted director’s resignation, say media reports

But Hartwig Fischer stepping down is not linked to the alleged thefts, say fresh sources

Media reports identify objects allegedly stolen from British Museum and posted on eBay

The items include a piece of Roman jewellery—reportedly worth between £25,000 and £50,000—being offered with a minimum price of £40

British Museum antiquities thief alleged to be veteran curator Peter Higgs

Higgs, who was sacked earlier this year, is alleged to have sold uncategorised items from the museum's collection on eBay as early as 2016

Sculpture stolen from the set of new Beetlejuice movie

The Vermont State Police is looking for any leads regarding the whereabouts of the 150-pound sculpture and another element of the set

Suspects arrested in theft of gold coins from German museum

The trove stolen from the Kelten Römer Museum near Munich was the biggest Celtic gold find of the 20th century

Warhol and Pollock works stolen by American crime ring may not have been destroyed, authorities reveal

Statements by one member of a crime ring that struck 20 different institutions over two decades have restored hope that not all the loot was destroyed

Germany returns artefacts—including a Venetian jewellery box stolen in 2006—to Italy

The recovered items also include a Corinthian bronze helmet and four Roman-Byzantine gold coins

FBI launches app to help identify stolen art

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has made its Nation Stolen Art File, most commonly used by law enforcement, available on mobile to the public

Man fingered in Philadelphia theft of thumb from terracotta warrior will plead guilty

A man whose drunken antics at a 2017 ugly sweater party at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia got him in hot water with the FBI, is expected to take a plea bargain in order to avoid jail time

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum closes on anniversary of infamous heist due to planned climate change protest

The museum was reportedly to be the site of a “guerrilla art installation” by Extinction Rebellion Boston on 18 March

Crime news

Ukrainian art dealer found guilty of stealing £1.3m Paul Signac from French museum

Vadym Huzhva handed a five-year sentence for 2018 theft and for stealing four other paintings in France, including a Renoir

Police recover paintings by Elaine de Kooning and others stolen in Colorado art heist

Paintings worth $400,000 that were stolen from a storage truck on 14 December 2022 have been located in a Colorado hotel room

More than $400,000 of art stolen from a padlocked truck in Boulder, Colorado

Police are investigating the theft of five paintings from a vehicle in a hotel car park

Banksynews

Ringleader of group who attempted to steal Banksy mural in Ukraine could face 12 years in prison

The suspect has not been identified by police, but is likely to be an environmental activist who told press that he intended to auction the work in support of the Ukrainian army

Police detain group attempting to steal Banksy mural from Ukraine wall

The work is one of seven the artist created in war-torn areas of the country last month