Stolen Art Project

WANTED: Stolen Art

Introduction: After discussing some of the world's most famous art heists, students in grades 5-8 worked together to re-create the missing works.

 

Each student was given a "clue" (a piece of an image of one of the paintings), which they enlarged using the grid method.  By drawing a 1/2 inch grid over their clue (a 1" x 1" piece), then a 2" grid on an 8" x 8" paper, they were able to enlarge their section of the painting four times larger.  This aided in getting the correct proportions.  They then painted their section with watercolor paints, trying their best to match the colors of the original clue.

 

After putting together all of our re-created clues, we "solved" each of these cases, creating some very interesting work!

 

 

Case 1
The Concert by Johannes Vermeer

 

*Considered to be the most valuable stolen painting in the world, with an estimated value of $200,000,000!

*Stolen March 18, 1990 (along with 13 other works of art) from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - the largest art theft in world history

The 14 pieces of stolen art have a combined est. value of $500,000,000!

A reward of $5,000,000 for any information still remains open.

Case 2

Poppy Flowers by Vincent Van Gogh

 

 

 

*Painted in 1887.

*Est. value $50, 000, 000

*Stolen in August 2010 from the Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, Cairo, Egypt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Case 3

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

 

 

 

*Stolen on August 21, 1911 from the Musée du Louvre in Paris.  The Louvre was closed for an entire week to aid in investigation of the theft.

*Est. value $743,000,000, although some would consider this priceless.

*Recovered in 1913 after the thief, Vincenzo Peruggia (an employee), attempted to sell it.

Case 4

The Boy in the Red Vest by Paul Cézanne

 

*Stolen on February 10, 2008 from Foundation E.G. Bührle in Zürich, Switzerland.

 I*t was the museum's most valuable painting.

*The painting was recovered in Serbia on April 12, 2012.

*Est. Value $91,000,000

 

 

Case 5

Count Lepic and His Daughters by Edgar Degas

 

 

 

On February 10, 2008, the painting was stolen from Foundation E.G. Bührle in Zürich, Switzerland.

*Est. value: Part of a $162.5 million art heist.

*Recovered in Serbia in April 2012

 

Case 6

Le pigeon aux petit pois (The Pigeon with Green Peas) by Pablo Picasso

 

 

This painting was one of five paintings stolen from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris on May 20, 2010, which together are worth about $123 million.

The painting has been confirmed as discarded, as the thief threw it in a trash container shortly after the theft. Unfortunately, the container was emptied before it was discovered where the painting could be found.

 

Case 7

La Femme à l'éventail by Amedeo Modigliani

 

 

 

*Also stolen on May 20, 2010 from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, France.

Case 8

The Tower of Blue Horses by Franz Marc

 

This painting was declared "degenerate" by the Nazis in 1937, removed from its position in the National Gallery, and exhibited in the "Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art)" exhibition held in Munich that same year.  Its location now has remained a mystery.

 

Case 9

The Scream by Edvard Munch

 

 

 

There were multiple versions of the Scream, and they have been the target of a number of thefts.

*Stolen on February  12 1994 from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, same day as the opening of the 1994 winter Olympics.

*Also stolen on August 22, 2004 from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway.

*Both versions recovered- one version recently sold at auction for $120,000,000!