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Art Crimes

The Mona Lisa returning to the Louvre in 1914

Andrew Lloyd Webber Says He’s Writing a New Musical About the Time the ‘Mona Lisa’ Vanished Without a Trace in 1911

Known for spectacles like “The Phantom of the Opera,” Broadway’s most commercially successful composer now wants to tell the story of the world’s most famous painting

The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring on display before the restoration

This Vincent van Gogh Painting Was Found Wrapped in an Ikea Bag and a Blood-Stained Pillow. Now, the Artwork Has Been Restored to Its Former Glory

Art sleuth Arthur Brand recovered “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring” in 2023, three years after it was stolen from a Dutch museum. Following careful restoration, the canvas is now back on display

The recovered helmet and two bracelets were displayed at a press conference by Dutch officials on April 2, 2026.

Thieves Who Allegedly Stole an Ancient Gold Helmet Belonging to a Lost European Culture Just Returned It

More than a year after the Romanian treasure disappeared from a museum in the Netherlands, it’s back in the hands of authorities. The men accused of stealing it will face trial later this month

The tenth-century temple of Banteay Srei, northeast of Angkor, where Clara and André Malraux planned an audacious 1923 heist. The Hindu shrine complex, built from intricately carved red sandstone, is celebrated for some of the finest surviving decorative stonework of the Khmer era.

To Finance Their Lifestyle, a Young French Couple Went to Cambodia to Steal Antiquities. They Did Almost Everything Wrong

Clara and André Malraux conspired to loot the pink temple of Banteay Srei, but their failure started a battle of reclamation

Les Poissons, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1917

Art Thieves Steal Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse Worth More Than $10 Million, Fleeing the Scene in Just Three Minutes

The Magnani-Rocca Foundation in Italy was the target of a shocking art heist—only five months after a high-profile theft at the Louvre in Paris

This chrysoprase snuffbox belonged to Frederick II of Prussia.

These Historic Snuffboxes Associated With 18th-Century Monarchs Were Stolen in a Shocking Heist. Now, They’re Back on Public Display

In 2024, thieves made away with the intricately decorated boxes, which had been on display in Paris. Two of the boxes, which were later recovered, are now on view at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London

The British Museum, from which Nigel Peverett stole hundreds of prints

Thirty-Four Years Ago, a British Museum Staffer Stole More Than 300 Prints in Broad Daylight. A New Book Chronicles the Thefts and Their Fallout

While seemingly unreported at the time, the pilfering was uncovered by historian Barnaby Phillips as part of his research for a new book about African treasures

Self-Portrait in a Fur Cap, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1630

Cool Finds

A Woman Found a Folder in a Drawer. When She Opened It, She Discovered 35 Forgotten Rembrandt Etchings

Charlotte Meyer’s grandfather acquired the artworks between 1900 and 1920. Now, they’re going on view for the first time in more than a century

An ancient Egyptian collar was among the artifacts stolen from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology.

Police Recover Ancient Egyptian Artifacts the Day After a Heist at a Museum in Australia

The looted items included a 2,600-year-old wooden cat figurine, a 3,300-year-old necklace and a mummy mask

Empress Eugénie's crown was damaged as thieves attempted to remove it from its glass case on October 19, 2025.

Jewel Thieves Dropped This Crushed Crown as They Fled the Louvre. Now, the Historic Headdress Will Be Restored to Its Former Glory

The crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was found on the sidewalk after robbers made away with eight pieces of royal jewelry in October. Officials estimate that the repair will cost nearly $50,000

Teyana Taylor wearing a tiara inspired by the crown jewels stolen from the Louvre in October

See How This Fashion Designer Reimagined the Jewels Stolen From the Louvre for Paris Haute Couture Week

Daniel Roseberry created two pieces inspired by the tiara and brooch that once belonged to French Empress Eugénie. Both artifacts were stolen from the Paris museum in October

Created by French sculptor Paul Dubois, the statue is located in a public square in front of the Église Saint-Augustin.

Man Arrested in Connection With Theft of Sword From Historic Joan of Arc Statue in Paris

City leaders vowed to repair or replace the damaged artwork by sculptor Paul Dubois, which is on loan from the Musée d’Orsay

A third-century B.C.E. Greek gold chain necklace similar to some of the missing objects

The British Museum Plans to Hire a Treasure Hunter. Duties Include Recovering Missing Artifacts Before They’re Lost to History

The museum announced in 2023 that 1,500 items were missing. More than 600 have since been found, and officials are now hoping to expand the recovery effort

Workers have installed a metal gate on the second-floor window of the Apollo Gallery, where thieves broke into the Louvre and stole valuable pieces of jewelry in October.

The Louvre Installs Metal Security Bars on Window Used During $102M Jewel Heist

The Paris institution, the busiest museum in the world, is also making other security upgrades

An exterior view of the famous window and balcony that robbers entered in October

Louvre Robbers Escaped With Less Than a Minute to Spare Due to Major Security Fumbles

An investigation ordered by France’s culture ministry highlighted a number of security failures that made October’s brazen heist possible

Tourists take pictures of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa during the Louvre's reopening following a daylight jewel heist in October.

Weeks After a Brazen Heist, the Louvre Increases Ticket Prices for Non-E.U. Visitors by 45 Percent

Officials say the fee hike will help fund a much-needed overhaul of the museum’s security systems and infrastructure

Smithsonian magazine's picks for the best history books of 2025 include We the People, The Stolen Crown and Medicine River.

The Best Books of 2025

The Ten Best History Books of 2025

Our favorite titles of the year resurrect overlooked histories and examine how the United States ended up where it is today

The painting was rehung in its original place at the church during a ceremony earlier this month.

This Painting Hung at a Church in Mexico for 200 Years Before It Was Stolen in 2001. Now, It’s Finally Returning Home

Titled “St. Francis of Assisi,” the 1747 standing portrait of the church’s namesake was stolen in 2001, along with several other items

Syria's National Museum reopening to visitors in Damascus on January 8

Six Ancient Roman Statues Have Been Stolen From Syria’s National Museum

The theft is a serious loss for the country’s cultural heritage, which had already sustained extensive damage during a long civil war

The bidding will start at a number determined by the price of gold on November 18.

This Fully Functioning Toilet Made From Solid Gold Could Sell for More Than $10 Million at Auction

Made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, the 18-karat gold toilet weighs 220 pounds. Another version of the artwork was famously stolen in a 2019 burglary

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