If FBI were to manage to find only a fraction of stolen art pieces they could open one of the best galleries in the world. Leonardo da Vinci, Paul Cezanne, Michelangelo, Caravaggio… They are only some of the authors of pieces that they are looking for. Thieves are not limited to only one region they are stealing from Boston to Bagdad, from Paris to Soule.
Theft of art pieces is a global problem. Thieves are well organized like mafia or terrorists. It is hard to assess true value of stolen pieces, because art pieces don’t have a constant price. According to data from the FBI, on the black market of stolen art pieces annually around six billions of dollars is turned. On the top of the list of art pieces which FBI is looking for there are two famous pieces of famous Dutch painter Van Gogh, whose value for collectors is estimated to 30 million dollars. Dutch police arrested two persons suspected for stealing but paintings are still not found.
10SWEDISH NATIONAL MUSEUM – 2000
Robbers distracted police with car bombs planted around Stockholm. They escaped in a speedboat with 30 million dollars of art, which was eventually found.
09VIENNA ART HISTORY MUSEUM – 2003
A 70 million sculpture was stolen by Robert Mang, who was supposedly drunk. He claimed it was a prank but was sentenced to four years in jail.
08DRUMLANRING CASTLE – 2003
Two men posing as tourists overpowered a guide and stole Da Vinci´s “Madonna of the Yarnwinder”. The 80 million dollars painting was found in 2007.
07PARIS MUSEUM OF MODERN ART – 2010
Five paintings worth 123 million dollars were stolen thanks to a faulty alarm. The works are rumored to have been thrown into the trash by those involved.
06KROLLER-MULLER NATIONAL MUSEUM – 1988
Thieves made off with three Van Gogh paintings worth 125 million dollars. They tried to collect a 2.5 million dollars ransom, it wasn’t paid and the paintings were recovered.
05THE MUNCH MUSEUM – 2004
Thieves stormed the museum and took two paintings valued at 141 million dollars. They were recovered in 2006 after Norway´s largest surveillance operation involving 70.000 tapped phone calls.
04EMILE BUHRLE FOUNDATION – 2008
Three armed men wearing ski masks robbed this Zurich museum at gunpoint. Four paintings worth 163 million dollars were taken, most have been found.
03THE ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM – 1990
Thieves disguised as police officers made off with 13 pieces of art worth 300 million dollars. There is a 5 million dollars reward for information.
02VAN GOGH MUSEUM – 1991
Twenty paintings worth around 500 million dollars were briefly stolen. The art recovered hours later in the getaway car.
01THE LOUVRE – 1911
Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee, simply walked out with the Mona Lisa under his coat. The “priceless” piece was recovered two years later.
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