The Most Stolen Artists in History

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Want to know which are the most stolen artists in history? Paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints have been stolen from art galleries, museums, private collections and even artists’ studios over the years. But there are some artists who have had more of their works stolen than others. The Art Loss Register, a private database of lost and stolen art, antiques and collectables, ranked the most stolen artists according to the number of stolen pieces each of them had and we decided to compile a list using that valuable information.

If art is your cup of tea, make sure you check out our list on the 10 Most Expensive Works of Art of All Time.

Are you curious about the most stolen artists in history? Let’s take a look at the countdown and find out.

 The Most Stolen Artists in History

10. Peter Reinicke

One of the most stolen artists in history is Peter Reinicke, a rather unknown artist if you compare him with the rest of the famous masters on our list. The eighteenth century sculptor had 336 of his works stolen, and it is not surprising since his pieces were small and delicate objects. In fact, Reinicke was a porcelain artist who belonged to the German group of artists known to make Meissen porcelain.

9. Rembrandt

With 337 stolen pieces, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is one of the artists who has been stolen the most in history. This famous Dutch artist is best known for his paintings and prints, which include portraits, self-portraits and Bible illustrations. Some of the most renowned works of this seventeenth century artist are The Anatomy Lesoon of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, The Night Watch, and Belshazzar’s Feast.

8. David Levine

David Levine was an American artist best known as a caricaturist and illustrator and he had 343 of his works stolen. Levine’s most notable caricatures are those published in The New Yorker Review of Books, a semi-monthly magazine about literature, culture, science and other current affairs that is still in circulation nowadays.

7. Andy Warhol

The leading figure of American Pop Art is also one of the most stolen artists in history, with 343 of his works taken. Although he probably doesn’t need an introduction, for those of you unfamiliar with Andy Warhol, his works included groundbreaking paintings, films, prints, drawings, sculptures, time capsules, happenings, and more.

6. Joan Miró

With 478 works stolen, Joan Miró is one of the most stolen artists in the world. The Spanish artist was a sculptor, painter, muralist, and ceramicist mostly considered to be part of Surrealism, a cultural movement of the early twentieth century which included artists of different fields, such as Salvador Dalí, Antonin Artaud, and Luis Buñuel.

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