In many cases, allegations that the works were taken improperly have been disputed by the institutions and collectors that currently claim ownership over the art in question, and the battles by the people who claim to be the pieces’ original owners is still ongoing. By no means comprehensive, it includes works looted by the Nazis, objects taken as war booty, and artifacts plundered amid conquests and colonization. The list below surveys 20 works that were subject to claims that they had been looted, plundered, or stolen by other means. Whether the cases involve allegations that works were looted during war or plundered during conquests, the process of retrieving these pieces can be long and difficult-and even, in many cases, unsuccessful. Throughout history, masterpieces have plundered, looted, and stolen, and taken far away from the original locales.įor the former owners of such stolen works, getting their prized possessions back can be tricky and involve decades-long legal and political ordeals. Art theft typically conjures pieces ripped from the walls of world-class museums, and while art heists take place frequently, they are not the only means by which priceless treasures are taken.

Free download the euphronios krater