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'Fruits on a Table' or 'Still Life with Apples and Grapes' by Paul Gauguin -

'Fruits on a Table' or 'Still Life with Apples and Grapes' is a still life painting by French artist Paul Gauguin, painted in 1889. 

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'Fruits on a Table' or 'Still Life with Apples and Grapes' by Paul Gauguin -

The painting was stolen from Terence F. Kennedy's private collection in London in June 1970 by three men posing as burglar alarm engineers. 'Fruits on a Table' or 'Still Life with Apples and Grapes' was returned by the Carabinieri in Italy in April 2014.

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'Rest on the Flight into Egypt' by Titian -

Painted by Titian circa 1508, 'Rest on the Flight into Egypt' depicts Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, stopping to rest while they fled to Egypt. 

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'Rest on the Flight into Egypt' by Titian -

The 'Rest on the Flight into Egypt' was stolen not once but twice. The first theft happened when it belonged to a Venetian merchant in the early 17th century. The second theft occurred in 1995 from Longleat House, England. The painting turned up, frameless and stuffed in a plastic bag, at a London bus stop in 2002.

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'Portrait of a Lady' by Gustav Klimt -

'Portrait of a Lady' was painted by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt between 1916 and 1917. The painting was purchased in 1925 by Giuseppe Ricci Oddi for his private collection. 

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'Portrait of a Lady' by Gustav Klimt -

'Portrait of a Lady' was stolen from the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art, Italy, in 1997. In January 2020, gallery gardeners found the painting concealed in an external wall. The reasons for its concealment remain unknown.

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'A Double Portrait of Sir Peter Paul Rubens and Sir Anthony Van Dyck' by Erasmus Quellinus II -

'A Double Portrait of Sir Peter Rubens and Sir Anthony van Dyck,' painted by Erasmus Quellinus II in the 1640s, was stolen after a raid on the Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne, in 1979. The painting was returned to its owner in 2024.

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'Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee' by Rembrandt Van Rijn -

'Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee', painted by Rembrandt in 1633, depicts Jesus Christ calming the waves of the sea and saving the lives of the fourteen men aboard the vessel.

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'Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee' by Rembrandt Van Rijn -

In 1990, 'Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee' was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. The painting was stolen along with 12 others by two men pretending to be Boston police officers. The painting remains missing to this day.

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'The Concert' by Johannes Vermeer -

Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer is thought to have painted 'The Concert' between 1663 and 1666. The painting depicts a man and two women performing music.

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'The Concert' by Johannes Vermeer -

'The Concert' was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on the same night as Rembrandt's 'Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee.' Vermeer's 'The Concert' is considered the most valuable stolen painting in the world, and a US$10 million reward is offered to anyone who can provide information leading to the return of the art in good condition.

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'Portrait of the Duke of Wellington' by Francisco de Goya -

The 'Portrait of the Duke of Wellington' is a painting of the British general Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya. The portrait is believed to have been painted between 1812 and 1814.

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'Portrait of the Duke of Wellington' by Francisco de Goya -

On August 21, 1961, just 19 days after it was displayed at the National Gallery, London, bus driver Kempton Bunton stole the painting. Four years later, Bunton returned the painting voluntarily in July 1965. He confessed to stealing the painting and its frame. 

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'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci -

'Mona Lisa' is a portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1503 to 1519. The painting was the earliest example in Italian portraiture that portrayed the subject in a half-length format. 

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'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci -

The 'Mona Lisa' was stolen in 1911 by Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia and two others hid in a closet in the Louvre, and when the museum closed, they took the painting. Peruggia attempted to sell the piece, but the recipient called the police, and the masterpiece was returned to the Louvre.

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'Portrait of Jacob de Gheyn III' by Rembrandt van Rijn -

'Portrait of Jacob de Gheyn III' is a painting of the Dutch engraver Jacob de Gheyn III by Rembrandt. It has been stolen four times since 1966, the most recorded thefts of any painting. The portrait has been found in a train station luggage rack, under a graveyard bench, and on the back of a bicycle.

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'Landscape with Cottages' by Rembrandt van Rijn -

'Landscape with Cottages,' painted circa 1654 by Rembrandt, was stolen from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on September 4, 1972. Three armed individuals stole 18 paintings, 39 figurines, and various pieces of jewelry. 'Landscape with Cottages' has never been recovered, and the case remains a mystery.

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'Beach in Pourville' by Claude Monet -

'Beach in Pourville,' painted by French artist Claude Monet in 1882, was stolen from the Poznań National Museum in Poland in 2000. The painting was cut out of its frame and replaced with a copy painted on cardboard. 'Beach in Pourville' was recovered by police in 2010.

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'Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather' by Vincent van Gogh -

'Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather' was painted by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in 1882. The painting was stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2002. It was found under the kitchen floor of a villa associated with a Camorra gang boss by Italian police in 2016.

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'Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence' by Caravaggio -

'Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence,' painted by Caravaggio in 1609, depicts the nativity of Jesus. The painting was stolen by two thieves in 1969 and has never been recovered.

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'A Lady and Gentleman in Black' by Rembrandt van Rijn -

'A Lady and Gentleman in Black,' painted by Rembrandt in 1633, depicts a well-dressed husband and wife. It was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 and has never been recovered.

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'Landscape with an Obelisk' by Govert Flinck -

'Landscape with an Obelisk,' formerly attributed to Rembrandt, was painted by Dutch artist Govert Flinck in 1638. It was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 and has never been recovered.

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'The Scream' by Edvard Munch -

'The Scream' was painted by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The piece has come to symbolize the anxiety of the human condition and is one of the most iconic images in art.

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'The Scream' by Edvard Munch -

'The Scream' has been stolen twice. Once in 1994 by two men who broke into the National Gallery, Oslo, and the second time in 2004, in broad daylight, by masked gunmen. It was recovered and hangs in the National Gallery to this day. 

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'Saint Jerome Writing' by Caravaggio -

'Saint Jerome Writing,' painted by Caravaggio in 1607 or 1608, was stolen from St. John's Co-Cathedral in Malta in 1984 after being cut out of its frame. Two years later, following numerous telephone negotiations between the thieves and the museum director, the painting was recovered.

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'Summer's Day' by Berthe Morisot -

'Summer's Day' by French artist Berthe Morisot, painted between 1878 and 1879, depicts two women seated in a rowboat. The painting was stolen from the Tate Gallery in London in 1956 by two Irish students. It was later recovered at the Irish Embassy after being left anonymously.

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'Francis Bacon' by Lucian Freud -

In 1952, British painter Lucian Freud created a portrait of Francis Bacon, an Irish-British artist. The portrait was stolen in 1988 while it was traveling to an exhibition in Berlin. Freud designed a "wanted" poster for the missing painting, but it remains lost to this day.

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'Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church at Nuenen' by Vincent van Gogh -

'Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church at Nuenen' was an early painting by van Gogh, made in early 1884. 

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'Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church at Nuenen' by Vincent van Gogh -

The piece was stolen alongside 'Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather' from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2002. It was later recovered in 2016 without its original frame.

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'Girl With Ballon' by Banksy -

On September 8, 2024, burglars broke into an art gallery in London and stole one of Banksy's most famous works: 'Girl With Balloon.' The print was on display as part of an exhibition of the artist's work and is valued at £270,000 (approximately US$354,000). Two men were allegedly responsible for the theft, but were caught within the week by London's Metropolitan Police. The print was returned to the gallery safely. 

Sources: (BBC) (Euronews) (ARTnews)

See also: Famous works of art you simply have to see in person

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