ART LOST FOREVER – AN UNFATHOMABLE LOSS TO CIVILIZATION – Part 3

Works of art are a statement of and a commentary on the time, place and persons who created them and patronized them. They are the images of the civilization gone bye and help us to understand history. Although we may not realize it, art is a cultural statement that remains to inform and educate future generations of how life once was. This is what makes certain pieces of art more poignant and famous than others, when they come to symbolize a generation or period of time.

Though priceless and invaluable there have been occasions in history when they were not shown the respect they deserved and they were pillaged, plundered, stolen and destroyed. Thus either unknowingly or worse still, knowingly and with a vengeance of intolerance they have been destroyed and left gaping holes in the story of our civilization. So whether it was because of the World Wars or it was the plunder of Muslim fundamentalists of ISIS or Taliban, many precious works of art were lost forever. Accidents, fire, negligence and botched up restoration efforts too have contributed to the tragic loss of priceless artworks.

The wars have had a very detrimental impact on culture and civilization and art which remains an embodiment of both has suffered most and many epics have been lost forever. The invading armies were either ignorant of their true value or were so afraid of their potential to revive a culture that they purposely destroyed them.

When properly taken care of, works of art can persist through millenniums that tell the stories of the times passed to future generations. To preserve cultural heritage from getting destroyed, art galleries and museums have installed a set of rules designed to protect the artworks from thieves, vandals, and accidents. Artworks are often protected by safety ropes that keep the visitors at a reasonable distance. Some pieces are placed inside bulletproof glass boxes.

But, since art venues are trying to keep the sense of accessibility, many works are showcased without these protective items. Instead, they are guarded by a series of guidelines that the visitors must obey. For instance, viewers are often asked to leave their belongings (such as briefcases and umbrellas) at the front desk. Since children are prone to accidents of all kinds, museums demand that they must be accompanied by adults. Food and drinks are not allowed and touching the pieces is strictly forbidden.

There's a reason why museums and galleries ask people not to touch works on display. Human skin carries natural oils and acids that are harmful to artworks. A single touch can initiate permanent changes, darken the paint or corrode metal. But despite these rules, accidents happen and artworks get shattered, punched through or completely destroyed.

In a 5 part series I will be presenting 50 priceless and invaluable works of art which we will never be able to see again because they have been lost forever and this is the third series of 10 such masterpieces:

21. Man at the Crossroads - Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera painted many populist murals and frescoes, but his most famous work might be the one that no longer exists. In 1932, the artist was commissioned by John D. Rockefeller to create a mural for the walls of New York’s Rockefeller Center in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Given the theme of “Man at the Crossroads Looking with Hope and High Vision to the Choosing of a New and Better Future,” Rivera responded with a revolutionary work that referenced scientific progress, civil rights and the plight of the working class. An ardent leftist, he also included a depiction of the communist leader Vladimir Lenin—a move that offended the sensibilities of his wealthy patrons. When Rivera refused to remove Lenin from his mural, the Rockefellers had the work covered over with canvas frames and then later destroyed. Rivera would go on to paint another version of his Rockefeller mural—this time titled “Man, Controller of the Universe”—in Mexico City.

The controversy over the mural was significant because Rivera's communist ideals contrasted with the theme of Rockefeller Center, even though the Rockefeller family themselves admired Rivera's work. As originally installed, it was a three-paneled artwork. A central panel depicted a worker controlling machinery. The central panel was flanked by two other panels, The Frontier of Ethical Evolution and The Frontier of Material Development, which respectively represented socialism and capitalism.

The Rockefeller–Rivera dispute has become an emblem of the relationship of politics, aesthetics, creative freedom and economic power.

22. Medusa Shield - Leonardo da Vinci

Several of Leonardo da Vinci’s works have been lost to time, but the “Medusa Shield” is perhaps the most mysterious. Painted when the Italian master was in his youth, this early work supposedly took the form of a shield emblazoned with a creature inspired by the snake-haired Greek monster Medusa. According to a 1550 account by art historian Giorgio Vasari, the painting was so realistic that it initially frightened Leonardo’s father, who considered it a macabre masterpiece and secretly sold it to a group of Florentine merchants. The shield has long since vanished, and some modern experts now argue that Vasari’s account may have been little more than a myth.

The head of a Medusa, with the head attired with a coil of snakes, the most strange and extravagant invention that could ever be imagined, but since it was a work that took time, it remained unfinished, as everything happened with almost all Leonardo's creations. Vasari indicates that the face was painted on a wooden shield cut from fig trees. It was a favor to a peasant friend of his who fashioned the shield. Leonardo in his experimental style took the shield and heated it by fire and made it smooth. He then moved to make one his very first masterpieces.

23. Chez Tortini - Edouard Manet

If you want to carry out an audacious art heist in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, then there’s no better time than St. Patrick’s Day. It was on that day in 1990, when almost all of the city was celebrating their Irish heritage, that Chez Tortini, along with a number of other artworks were taken from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. As with all the other works, the whereabouts of Edouard Manet’s famous portrait of an unidentified gentleman remains a mystery, despite the fact the gallery is offering a $5 million reward for its safe return.

It’s believed that French artist Manet completed this oil on canvas painting in 1879 or 1880. Apart from that, little is known about it. Above all, while it’s made clear that the portrait is set in the Café Tortoni de Paris, a favorite hangout of the French realist, the subject of the work is never revealed. That is, nobody knows for sure whether it’s a portrait of one of Manet’s friends, relatives or simply a stranger he wanted to paint. Quite possibly, the man in question was a fellow Bohemian, quite possibly an artist or a writer. But what is for certain is that Chez Tortini is missing, presumed gone for good.

Other famous Manet paintings are 'Barque of Dante', 'Christ the Gardener', 'The Spanish Singer' and 'Olympia'.

24. The 16 Pleasures - Marcantonio Raimondi

The 16 Pleasures by Marcantonio Raimondi was so sexually scandalous that the Pope tried to destroy all the copies, though whether he succeeded or not is up for debate. The world’s first collection of pornography wasn’t so much lost or stolen as confiscated.

Marcantonio Raimondi’s series of erotic engravings both titillated and scandalized polite society at the peak of the Renaissance. In fact, it shocked the Catholic Church so much that they tried to buy up all the copies of the first edition of the work and have them all destroyed. Whether the Church succeeded in its puritanical mission, or whether one or more copies of the original survived the puritanical purge and are still out there, remains a source of considerable scholarly debate to this day.

The artwork, entitled The Sixteen Pleasures, or sometimes referred to as I Modi (The Ways) was actually a series of engravings created by Raimondi and then released in 1524. All of the elaborate engravings depicted different sexual acts and positions. Significantly, while other artists had made similar erotic works for private viewing, Raimondi intended his to be seen by the public. When Pope Clement VII learned of this, he was incensed. Wielding his Papal authority, he ordered his soldiers to locate and then destroy every set of the engravings. According to most accounts, they succeeded, and the Pope even had the artist briefly imprisoned.

But that doesn’t mean that the puritans had the last word. Within a few years, a second edition had been published. This time, the engravings were accompanied by erotic poems. What’s more, Raimondi’s legacy lived on. In the 17th century, enterprising printers at Oxford University in England made copies of their own, bringing The Sixteen Pleasures to a new generation. These examples still survive today. However, the hunt for the original 1524 artworks goes on.

25. The Poor Poet - Carl Spitzweg

It was reportedly Hitler’s favorite painting. Painted in 1839, Carl Spitzweg’s The Poor Poet was very much a product of its time. In it, the artist satirizes the bohemian gentlemen who felt they needed to suffer for their art. In its day, it was hugely popular, transforming Spitzweg from a pharmacist who painted in his spare time, to one of the most acclaimed artists in Germany. And while the Fuhrer’s admiration undoubtedly tarnished its reputation – after all, Hitler hardly had good taste in art, despite his pretenses – it remained popular. So popular, in fact, that it has been stolen not once but twice. 

On the first occasion, in 1976, a German performance artist stole The Poor Poet from off the walls of the New National Gallery in Berlin. He was chased by the museum guards but managed to get into his car and drive away. He then drove to a working-class neighborhood of Berlin and hung the famous painting up on the wall of an immigrant family’s home. The stunt was designed to highlight the discrimination Turkish newcomers were facing in German society at the time. Regardless of whether or not he succeeded, the painting was quickly recovered and returned to the museum.

The painting was stolen again in 1989, however. This time, a visitor in a fake wheelchair managed to take this painting and another similarly small work by Spitzweg off the walls and smuggle them out right under the nose of the security guards. This time around, there was no happy ending. Neither of the paintings have been recovered. Moreover, since both works are compact and easy to hide, and since there was no CCTV back in 1989, it’s likely that Hitler’s favorite painting will remain missing, presumed lost for good. And, what’s more, these two aren’t the only Spitzweg paintings whose location is unknown. In all, some 36 works from the German artist’s vast output remain missing, almost all of them having been stolen.

26. Landscape with an Obelisk - Govert Flinck

For many years, Landscape with an Obelisk was attributed to the Italian master Rembrandt. After much investigation, however, it was determined that it was actually the work of Govert Flinck. Compared to the Italian, the Dutchman is quite little-known outside of his own country. And, sadly, this could remain the case, especially since this famous work of his was stolen from a Boston gallery in 1990 and is still missing.

The oil-on-wood painting, which depicts a pastoral landscape with a mysterious obelisk in the background, was finished in 1638. While it was inspired by the artist’s time in Rome, and in particular his time perfecting his craft in the ancient ruins of Tivoli just outside of the city, the exact location depicted is not clear. Regardless, at some point it was acquired by Isabella Stewart Gardner, one of the most notable American collectors and cultural philanthropists of the last century. She left it to the city of Boston and it hung in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. And here it remained until March 1980, when the largest art theft in world history happened.

Landscape with an Obelisk was one of 13 paintings stolen that day. The total worth of the haul is believed to be around $500 million. The Flinck landscape on its own is worth in the region of $10 million, even if it lost some value after it was proven not to be the work of Rembrandt. Over the years, the finger of blame has been pointed at the Boston underworld. But even if local gangsters were behind the famous theft, it’s highly unlikely that they would risk trying to sell their half-a-billion-dollar haul. As such, Flinck’s most famous work will remain hidden from the public eye indefinitely, perhaps forever.

27. View of Auvers-sur-Oise - Paul Cezanne

View of Auvers-sur-Oise by Paul Cezanne was stolen in a perfectly-executed heist while the city of Oxford partied into the new millennium. The French artist Paul Cezanne never got around to signing or dating his landscape of the town of Auvers-su-Oise. Because of this, many art historians believe that the work was left unfinished. But that didn’t make it any less attractive to the thieves who struck on the eve of the Millennium. While the rest of Oxford was watching a fireworks display, the criminal – or criminals – broke into the city’s Ashmolean Museum and made off with the painting.

As Britain woke up from its big party the night before, news of the heist spread fast. It was revealed that the thief broke in through a skylight and used a rope to rappel down to the gallery floor. They then used a smoke bomb to obstruct the security cameras and then set off the fire alarm. All went to plan: the museum’s security guards waited for the fire brigade to arrive, giving the thief enough time to find the Cezanne, take it off the walls and then leave the museum the way he came in. The whole crime took less than ten minutes to carry out.

Police were soon on the scene. Since the same gallery was home to several other valuable works, investigators concluded that the thief stole the painting to order, making the task of recovering it even more difficult. So far, no trace has been found, either of the thief or of View of Auvers-sur-Oise. It’s believed that the painting would now be worth in excess of $10 million, making it one of the most valuable works of art ever stolen in Britain. Partly as a result of this single crime, the UK government passed a new law, deeming thefts of items deemed part of the British “national heritage” to be worthy of longer prison sentences than normal thefts.

This is ironical to say the least, several artefacts, sculptures and precious jewellery in the British museums are stolen from countries which were once British colonies including India!

28. En Canot - Jean Metzinger

En Canot by Jean Metzinger might have been stolen by a high-ranking Nazi, or it may have been burned a lot of other art the evil regime believed to be ‘degenerate’. Famously, the Nazis were quite hypocritical when it came to art. On the one hand, they were quick to condemn works painted by Jewish artists or by other so-called ‘degenerates’. On the other, however, they were more than happy to confiscate works by such artists, especially those worth large sums of money. Indeed, several prominent members of the Nazi regime would routinely ‘confiscate’ paintings and other works of art in the name of public decency, only to add them to their own personal collections. Which is precisely what’s likely to have happened to Jean Metzinger’s modernist masterpiece En Canot.

Frenchman Metzinger produced the piece in 1913. It depicts a woman, painted in a surrealist fashion, sitting in a canoe. Around her, waves are meant to give the viewer an unsettling feeling. The work painting was displayed in Paris that same summer and three years later it was acquired by Georg Muche. He agreed for En Canot to be displayed in a prominent gallery in Berlin, where it was then promoted to the German National Gallery. However, when the Nazis began their clampdown on art, it was confiscated. The painting was last seen in 1938, shown as part of the Degenerate Art Exhibition which toured Germany for three years.

When the Nazi’s infamous traveling exhibition came to an end, many of the featured works were auctioned off to buyers in Switzerland, with all the money going to fund the regime’s war preparations. En Canot was not among them. It may be that a senior Nazi stepped in and took it for themselves – Hermann Goering, after all, took works by Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cezanne for his private collection, despite both artists having been labelled as ‘degenerate’ by the regime. Alternatively, it might have simply been destroyed. If it is ever found, Metzinger’s missing work would likely fetch more than $3 million at auction, not before it sparked a debate over who actually owns it, however.

29. Portrait of a Lady - Gustav Klimt

Portrait of a Lady is an oil on canvas painting by Gustav Klimt, painted between 1916 and 1917. The painting measures 60 by 55 centimetres. It depicts a portrait of a female figure, composed in an unusually lively expressionistic style.

Thanks to his massively-popular – and widely-reproduced – work The Kiss, Gustav Klimt is one of the best-known painters of all time. That also means that, as well as being popular with the viewing public, the Austrian’s paintings are also popular with art thieves, as an intriguing case from 1997 shows. It was like something straight out of a heist movie, with forgeries, ransom notes and intrigue extending all the way to the top of the Italian political system.

Later analysis revealed that the portrait was painted on top of an earlier portrait of one of the artist’s lovers who had died in tragic circumstances. The Galleria Ricci-Oddi in the Italian city of Piacenza acquired the painting as early as 1925 and it remained one of its highlights right up until February of 1997. Then, when the museum was due to host a special exhibition in order to celebrate the re-opening of one its galleries after renovation, Portrait of a Lady vanished.

Several months later, Italian police made a startling discovery. They found a secret workshop where skilfully-made forgeries of the Klimt portrait had been produced. It’s now believed that the painting stolen on the eve of the museum’s special exhibition might not have even been the original. It could well be that Portrait of a Lady was taken and replaced with a forgery several months before the high-profile theft, with the second crime staged to distract from the earlier one. So far, no firm leads have been found, even though the thieves purportedly got in contact with the former Italian premier Bettino Craxi at one point. The Klimt remains missing.

30. The Royal Danish Egg - Peter Carl Fabergè

The Royal Danish egg (also known as the Danish Jubilee egg) is a jewelled enamelled egg a made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergè in 1903, for Nicholas II of Russia, who presented the egg to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. One of six Febergè eggs that are currently lost, it is one of two eggs whose existence is known only from a single photograph, the other being 1909's Alexander II Commemorative egg.

The egg contains miniature portraits of Christian IX of Denmark and his wife, Louise of Hesse-Kassel(or Hesse-Cassel), the parents of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Miniatures of the late King of Denmark and his Queen are framed as the surprise feature in the Imperial egg. The outer surface is in light blue and white enamel with ornaments in gold and precious stones. On the top are the armorial bearings of the Danish Royal Family, and is supported by Danish heraldic lions.

One of the largest Fabergè eggs at over nine inches (229 mm) in height,the egg is crowned by the symbol of Denmark 's ancient Order of the Elephant.

In 1903 the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna, born in Denmark as Princess Dagmar, returned to Denmark for the 40th Anniversary of her father's accession to the throne.The Royal Danish egg was thus a commemoration of this event and at the same time to commemorate the death of Queen Louise.

Nicholas II wrote to his mother in Copenhagen that he was "sending you a Fabergé Easter present. I hope it will arrive safely; it simply opens from the top.

We will continue with our journey through this tragic world of priceless works of art that are lost forever in our 4^th  of the 5 series in the next blog