Art Heist: 50 Artworks You Will Never See

by Susie Hodge

An intriguing investigation into 50 elusive artworks that were stolen and never recovered.Mona Lisa, Starry Night, Birth of Venus. People travel for hundreds of miles to observe these breathtaking paintings with their own eyes. Now discover the artworks that nobody can ever see… and the fascinating stories behind their disappearance. In this collection of daring heist stories, read   Michelangelo’s Mask of a FaunCaravaggio’s NativityRembrandt’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young ManCézanne’s View of Auvers-sur-OiseVan Gogh’sThe Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring With meticulous research and engaging storytelling, this book uncovers the mysteries surrounding the thefts of these valuable artworks and 45 more. Each fated work will be discussed individually to reveal why it, and the artist who made it, was significant. Gain a deeper appreciation for these artists, and the lasting impact they've had on the art world. This book also answers key questions about each missing piece, Why and how was it stolen? What attempts have been made to recover it? Leads, red herrings, and suspects. Whether you're passionate about art or drawn to the thrill of solving mysteries, this book offers a compelling narrative that will keep you engaged from cover to cover. It's a must-read for anyone curious about the intersection of art, crime, and history.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, True Crime

176 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2024

Reviews

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a concise look at a lot of art heists. It was informative. The photographs were of high quality and really made the book come alive. This is perfect for any art lover who likes to look at photos about art heists and likes limited info. For me I felt it could have been longer and more detailed by it was enjoyabke and I recommended this to anyone who love quick chapters and lovely art photographs. It could also do with more photographs.
Thank netgallery and publisher and author.

[Kanako Okiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wrap my head around the idea that there are people out there who steal profound works of art. Gangs I guess.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea for a book! I found myself totally gripped by the stories of 50 works of art--by Michangelo, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and others--that were stolen and never found again. Perfect for lovers of true crime, art, and history.

[doghouse reilly’s girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Ivy Press, and Susie Hodge for the ARC! All opinions and words are my own.

It has always been a fascination to me: the pieces of art lost to time by foreign hands. Where are they now? A basement, an attic, growing dust in some warehouse somewhere? The extensive details plus photos in this book truly quenched my thirst for the subject. My favorite, of this bunch, being "Vase with Flowers" by Van Gogh. Something truly sad about such a bright picture being stolen. I can only hope that in my lifetime it returns back into the careful hands of conservations.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at a bunch of heists and the art that was stolen during them. I'd heard about some of it before, but a lot of it was interesting new information for me. I found it easy to read since it gave enough details about each event to hold my interest, but it also was quick-paced and moved on to the next topic after a few pages. It was also well organized in chapters and subheadings. This is interesting in an art sense but also a true crime sense.

[Izzy Eastick · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book with stunning photos of missing art pieces along with associated museums and buildings. And that’s not all. Each page has a well-written description of what happened to the art which is heart-breaking.

While thousands of pieces have been stolen, Susie Hodge has highlighted 50 pieces that range from those taken during wars, from burglaries in museums and private homes and even some large pieces taken from outdoor art galleries. She said $4-6 billion worth of art is stolen around the world each year. With slick criminals and months of planning, they are able to move art quickly and take the goods. It’s a huge concern as many are works from the most famous artists. Hodge said when art is stolen, part of the culture is taken away. Most of the book is about stolen art but the last section reports on art that has been returned.

As a former owner of a picture frame business, we were so careful handling paintings and objects of art. Yet, we know that thieves don’t care. They take sharp knives to get a canvas out of the frame and it’s not an easy repair if the art is ever found. It makes me cringe thinking about this devastating loss and thoughtless control of so many pieces.

This is a book for anyone that loves art and history which would also make a great gift. The advantage of an e-book is to expand the details of the photos and make the print larger. Yet, it’s such an interesting conversation piece that it would be ideal to have this on the coffee table to share with your family and friends.

My thanks to Ivy Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of September 17, 2024.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art theft has always been fascinating. But "Art Heist: 50 Artworks You Will Never See" by Susie Hodge takes that curiosity to a new level by exploring the incredible, often heartbreaking stories behind famous stolen artworks that have vanished without a trace. Hodge unveils the mysteries surrounding iconic pieces like Caravaggio’s "Nativity," Michelangelo’s "Mask of a Faun," and Van Gogh’s "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring." These are pieces of art history that vanished, in some cases forever, leaving a void for both the art world and fans of these legendary artists.

Hodge’s storytelling has a satisfying mix of art history, mystery, and a bit of true crime edge. Each chapter covers a new heist, complete with vivid descriptions and high-quality photos of the missing artwork—an ironic reminder of what we’ll never see in real life. She doesn’t just stop at recounting the thefts; she digs into the impact these works had before they disappeared, painting a rich portrait of both the art itself and the cultural loss its theft represents.

For art lovers, the loss is palpable. Knowing that someone might have these masterpieces stashed in a private vault or left to rot in an abandoned hideout somewhere is almost like reading a novel with an unsolved ending. Hodge brings out these emotions with plenty of research and colorful narratives, making each chapter feel like a mini art mystery.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short, interesting book is divided into two parts: Art that was stolen and never recovered, and art that was found. Most of the Art Heists described here took place in the 20th Century, although the Altarpiece of Ghent, as one example, had several misadventures leading back to the 16th century.

The author’s purpose in this book is to examine why art thefts take place. What is the motivation? Certainly art is very valuable, but the difficulties in removing, transporting, and trading it are immense. But, as author Hodge explains, there are many reasons art is stolen. The most fascinating, in my opinion, is the millions of dollars worth of art stolen from German (and later German-occupied) museums, libraries and private collections because Hitler wanted to take revenge on the professors who had denied his admission to art school in Berlin.

Art thieves are rarely art lovers. But Hodge analyzes each example to help us understand what treasures they took (or attempted to take) from the world. This is an easily digested examination of some fascinating history, understandable even by those who know little about art. Many thanks to Quarto and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review, and continuing thanks to Quarto for continuing to publish beautifully rendered and thoughtful books about art.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that does just what you'd expect – reveal famous artworks that have been half-inched, whether they are in the final quarter here, of ones that have been recovered and are now back on display, with perhaps more renown than before they went missing – or in the bulk of the book, like so many diverse pieces. Big hitting British sculptors get their metal taken, probably for scrap at a tiny per cent of the art's value, museums are raided and mansions tunnelled into, artists make kind of art in 'Wanted' posters for what was once on display, and is no longer.

Here we get suitable photos and images, showing us what is missing – and in a few famous places the gap where the loss still remains. It's a book that covers the full gamut of the Western art canon, from the Altarpiece of Ghent to Warhol prints. This is kind of a trivial art book – it certainly can't go too far into much, even about the Monuments Men and their more modern recovery-minded colleagues, but from the purloining Nazis to the most uneducated Romanian burglars it's all here in very readable form. File it under 'true crime', file it under 'art', but I'd file it under fun, and I really appreciated my look at it. Bearing no real faults, it probably deserves five stars.

[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susie Hodge's Art Heist: 50 Artworks You Will Never See gathers global cases of art theft from world war II to the present. The book is divided into two section, one listing the works stolen and still at large or and a second section about art works that were successfully recovered.

It's an okay book, for each chapter, Hodge provides a narration detailing the works creation, some of its provenance and then the theft and investigation into it. In general it reads like a coffee table book, as many of the cases detailed in this single book have full monographs of their own. (WW 2 art theft has been explored in several titles including The Rape of Europe, Stealing the Mystic Lamb about the Ghent Altarpiece, etc.).

Great for generalists or a middle grade audience, but it doesn't provide a list of sources and those interested in this topic might be better served by the books focused on the individual cases.


I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative book about art heists is the loss of great works of art. Some were taken during or destroyed during war. Others were planned thefts. I’ve been to the Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and seen where they leave empty frames for the works that were stolen from them. You can’t help mourn the loss of works that should really belong to the world. I’ve been to other museums included in this book and seen famous art that has been returned like Mona Lisa and The Scream. The text is straightforward. Explaining what is known of the heists and if perpetrators were caught, and if works were recovered. I love visiting art museums which make the book more interesting to me. Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Press for the temporary ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

[Whitney Scheibel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art Heist: 50 Artworks You Will Never See beautifully combines my love of true crime and art. This book would make a fantastic coffee table addition due to its stunning pictures of the featured paintings. It provides a concise synopsis of each theft, as well as interesting details about some of the artists, museums, and paintings involved.

Although, it reads somewhat like a textbook, the writing is straight to the point without being overly wordy. The straightforward approach makes it easy to dive into the intriguing stories behind each art heist. Overall, it’s a captivating and visually appealing book that art and true crime enthusiasts will appreciate.

Thank you to the publisher Quarto Publishing Group / Ivy Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley

[Mariama Thorlu-Bangura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book! The artwork covered was all amazing! And it's disappointing that those discussed in the first part of the book were never recovered, because those artworks are all a piece of the artists' souls now lost forever. What gets me is how bold these thieves were, and how in some, the lack of security all but begged for the thefts to occur. This was a very different way of learning about art, but intriguing all the same. Susie Hodge succeeds at informing and entertaining with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for access to this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at the different types of art heists (e.g., smash and grab, hoists), the people who commit art crimes, and the types and variety of art they steal. It's always been fascinating to me to see the motivation behind people stealing art they can't display or have to take great pains to sell. This book includes descriptions of many stolen art works we know about, and many I never heard of, and talks about ones that have been recovered, and many that were not. I like that there are pictures included of both the art work, and the thieves. This is a great addition to any art library.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Press for a review copy.

[Crimson Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this short novella

I have always loved art and going to museums so when I saw this book on NetGalley I was instantly interested in reading about art that's been stolen throughout history, and the information I read was fascinating to me & it's left me wanting to find other books 📚 with information on more art throughout the ages.

So for anyone who loves history and art then this short novella may cure an itch.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and gripping (but ultimately depressing!) survey of all the art works that have been stolen and which we will now never (probably) have the chance to enjoy. Art theft may not seem the most heinous of crimes but it is a crime nonetheless, and one which has many victims. Informative, engagingly written, and with many excellent illustrations, I found this a compelling read, with its mix of true crime and art history. A must read for any art lover.

[Charlotte Biddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy books and documentaries about art thefts so I knew I would enjoy this one. Some of the heists I had already heard of but introduced to some new ones. Heartbreaking learning the Monet paintings were burnt in a stove and lost forever. Liked how it ended with painting that's were stolen but recovered, mad either more hopeful. Some of the book layout was a little off, pictures a few pages before the text about them and sentences cut off before photo pages.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art Heist: 50 Artworks You Will Never See is an interesting compilation of art robberies in history. Divided by whether the works were recovered or not, it covers most major art heists in history.

[Kokos · Rating 2 out of 5]

poorly written, less engaging than a Wikipedia entry,

[Danni (_forbookssake) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art Heists happen around the world much more often than you would think. Art is my biggest passion, and although it makes me incredibly angry/upset that people do it, I do find it very interesting to read about (I guess it’s the true crime junkie in me).

Art Heist tells the stories of heists that have taken place throughout history, many of which are still unsolved to this day. Some of these priceless works of art are probably lost to us forever, but despite so much being lost, it makes me happy that we still remember these works of art, and keep them alive. Hopefully one day (preferably in my lifetime), some of these pieces will resurface and find their way into the hands of the right people.

I found this book incredibly fascinating, not only learning which artworks have been stolen, but also some of the bizarre and downright crazy ways some of the heists were pulled off. There were some heists included that I did already know about, for example, the stealing of Munch’s The Scream, but that didn’t make me enjoy this book any less. A mixture of art, history, and crime, this book will appeal to many, and it’s definitely one I recommend.

I give Art Heist: 50 Artworks You Will Never See a 4.5 star rating!