#looted art

Museum Stories

How a Dutch Still Life Made Its Way Home After WWII

What happens to artworks and cultural treasures as a nation prepares for war? In the case of Jan van Huysum’s Vase of Flowers, the Dutch still...

Natalia Iacobelli 4 February 2026

History

The Schloss Collection: A Story of War, Looting, and Restitution

Among the many artistic depredations that devastated France under Nazi rule, the looting of the Schloss collection came to be seen as a defining...

Javier Abel Miguel 4 February 2026

History

10 Most Important Masterpieces Lost During World War II

Art theft and looting occurred on a massive scale during World War II. It all started with Adolf Hitler’s unsuccessful career as an artist. He was...

Zuzanna Stańska 4 February 2026

Museum Stories

The Story of Hitler’s Unrealized Art Museum in Linz

The Hitler’s Museum – originally in German called Das Führermuseum, was luckily an unrealized art museum within a cultural complex planned by...

Zuzanna Stańska 4 February 2026

Masterpiece Stories

The Rediscovered Portrait of an African Prince by Gustav Klimt

Masterpiece discoveries are rare, so when one happens, it reaches the headlines. This is the case for a portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona...

Jimena Escoto 17 December 2025

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, ca 1766-1833, lacquered gilt wood, Vietnam, Musée Guimet, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara was donated to the Musée Guimet in Paris, France, in 1889 by French archeologist Gustave Dumoutier. It represents the...

James W Singer 14 December 2025

Medieval Art

Celebrity Sculptors, Medieval Fraud and Nazi Looting—An Outrageous Story of the Golden Veit Stoss Altarpiece

This is the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world and a national treasure of Poland. Carved over a period of 12 years, the 15th century Veit Stoss...

Candy Bedworth 5 December 2025

Art of Australia & Oceania

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Looted from Australia

At the end of the 18th century, the British Empire added Australia to its territory. Since the infamous arrival of Captain Cook white people have...

Jimena Escoto 25 November 2025

WTF Art History

The Art of Adolf Hitler: Idyllic Paintings of a Monster

Adolf Hitler is one of history’s most notorious dictators. After coming to power as Führer of Nazi Germany, he and his followers were responsible...

Abreeza Thomas 23 October 2025

Herstory

Rose Valland: How One Woman Saved Thousands of Artworks From the Nazis

Bravery often reveals itself in the most unexpected ways. Even a museum volunteer working her way up can become a hero. This is the story of Rose...

Javier Abel Miguel 9 October 2025

Ramesses II, New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1279–1254 BCE, granodiorite, Temple of Amun, Karnak Temple Complex, Thebes (Luxor), Egypt, Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Ramesses II

The statue of Ramesses II is a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian sculpture that proclaims the royal majesty and prowess of Ramesses the...

James W Singer 24 August 2025

Striding Lion, 604-562 BCE, glazed clay bricks, Processional Way, Babylon, Iraq, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Striding Lion from the Ishtar Gate

Striding Lion is a masterpiece of Mesopotamian art with monumental size and composition. It symbolizes the strength of King Nebuchadnezzar II and the...

James W Singer 24 July 2025