stolen art

Art

Archaeological Museum of Naples displays stolen artefacts in new show

From slabs once owned by Maria Callas to Greek vases and Roman statues, around 600 stolen artefacts are now on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

15/04/2025

Art

Why a British owner refuses to return a stolen Renaissance painting

Italian art lovers want the return of a stolen Renaissance painting but its English owner is refusing.

12/03/2025

Art

Stolen Brueghel painting resurfaces in the Netherlands after 50 years

A 17th-century Brueghel painting, stolen from Poland's Gdańsk Museum in 1974, has been recovered in the Netherlands with the help of a detective dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the Art World”.

04/03/2025

Culture news

Italy returns ancient Iraqi artefacts seized from illegal traffickers

The ancient artefacts, which include four terracotta cones and a cuneiform tablet, were presented at a ceremony in Rome attended by police officials and Iraq’s ambassador to Italy.

31/01/2025

Culture news

Dutch police arrest trio over theft of Romania’s golden helmet

After the shocking theft of Romania’s precious ancient Cotofenesti helmet, Dutch police have arrested three suspects, offering a glimmer of hope for its recovery.

30/01/2025

Art

CCTV footage shows thieves stealing golden helmet from Dutch museum

Three thieves broke into the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and stole the ancient Cotofenesti helmet, a priceless Romanian cultural treasure, along with three golden wristbands.

28/01/2025

Art

Banksy and Damien Hirst works recovered in Poland

Polish authorities say they have successfully recovered a collection of stolen artworks by Banksy, Damien Hirst, and other high-profile artists, valued at more than €175,000.

17/12/2024

Art

Long-lost Monet masterpiece stolen by Nazis restored to rightful heirs

A Monet pastel seized by Nazis in 1938 was returned to the descendants of its original owner after an 80-year search.

10/10/2024

Culture news

Italy returns stolen Churchill portrait to original Canadian owners

Nicola Cassinelli, an Italian lawyer, unknowingly purchased the iconic portrait at an auction before returning it after discovering its origins.

20/09/2024

Culture news

British Museum admits to breaking UK law after missing artefact report

The museum admitted that many of the approximately 2000 missing items may be “unrecoverable” after being defaced and “sold for scrap”.

13/08/2024

Art

Long-lost King Henry VIII portrait spotted in social media post

While scrolling through X, an art historian noticed something intriguingly regal in the background of a photo...

30/07/2024

Art

Titian masterpiece stolen and found at bus stop sells for €20m

The early artwork by Venetian master Titian has a dramatic history of thefts – including being left in a plastic bag at a London bus stop.

03/07/2024

Art

Early artwork by Titian with dramatic past goes under the hammer

The painting was first stolen by Napoleon's troops from Belvedere Palace in Vienna during the early 19th century. More recently, in 1995, it was taken from Longleat House in England.

20/06/2024

Culture news

Spanish police recover stolen artwork by Francis Bacon worth €5m

Spanish police say they have recovered the fourth of five paintings by Irish-born painter Francis Bacon that were stolen from a Madrid apartment in 2015.

23/05/2024

Culture news

British Museum recovers 268 more missing artefacts following thefts

The news follows last year's revelation that approximately 2,000 items, including gold and semi-precious stone jewellery, had gone missing.

17/05/2024

Culture news

Italian junior culture minister Vittorio Sgarbi resigns

Art critic and junior culture minister Vittorio Sgarbi has resigned. He was under investigation for laundering stolen goods.

02/02/2024

Art

How a mob-stolen painting was returned to its owners 54 years later

The John Opie painting, titled "The Schoolmistress," was recovered in St. George, Utah, and traced back to a house sale involving a convicted mobster.

30/01/2024

Culture news

Italian junior culture minister denies stolen painting accusations

Art critic and junior culture minister Vittorio Sgarbi is under investigation for laundering stolen goods, over a painting he owns which was reported stolen in 2013.

16/01/2024

Culture news

Belgian home unveils long-lost stolen Pompeii artefact after 50 years

In the quaint Belgian village of Herzele, a father and his son were taken aback when an artefact that had adorned their stairwell for half a century turned out to be a long-lost, highly valuable piece from Pompeii.

15/12/2023

Culture news

An 'Indiana Jones of the art world' recovers stolen van Gogh painting

Dubbed The Netherlands' 'Indiana Jones of the art world', Arthur Brand recovered Vincent van Gogh's "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring" three years after it was stolen.

12/09/2023