The stolen masterpieces: Famous paintings whose whereabouts are still unknown

The paintings of the great masters are not only artistic, but also quite measurable in monetary terms, value, and therefore are always in the focus of the robbers. Some of the masterpieces that once disappeared from museums, churches and cathedrals, continue to exist now only in reproductions and copies – while the fate of the originals remains unknown.

Abductions of the 20th Century
Jan van Eyck. “Righteous Judges,” sash of the Ghent Altar.
The work, created by Dutch artist Jan van Eyck or his brother Hubert, was stolen from the Cathedral of St. Bavon in Ghent on April 10, 1934. A resident of Ghent suspected of this crime, already on his deathbed, pleaded guilty, while simultaneously reporting that he would take the secret of the whereabouts of the masterpiece to the grave. Currently, the altar in Ghent is supplemented by a copy made from surviving photographs of the lost fragment. Continue reading →