I have heard of a few times when artwork not on display being stolen or replaced with forgeries and not being discovered until months or years later when a full inventory is done. I find it depressing when museums don’t have the staff or funding to keep up with regular inventories of their collections. I find it strange when artwork on exhibit is replaced and no one notices the change as with the case of Henri Matisse's Stolen 'Odalisque In Red Pants' the substitute not discovered until the original showed up. Also the recent Derby Museum theft that wasn't exposed until another museum made a request to borrow some of the items.
(Thanks Heather for found this.) Henri Matisse's Stolen 'Odalisque In Red Pants' Recovered By Undercover FBI Agents In Miami Beach http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07...
(Thanks Heather for found this.)
Henri Matisse's Stolen 'Odalisque In Red Pants' Recovered By Undercover FBI Agents In Miami Beach
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07...
More than a dozen women wearing nothing but red genie pants demand return of art work to Venezuela
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/...
Thieves steal Derby Museum artefacts worth £53,000
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug...