Missing from the files: 5 paintings the world is still looking for

Since time immemorial art has captivated people. The soft lines, the anatomy of subjects, the hair and eyes on the side, the simple expressions, and there is just so much more to fall completely in love with. And so naturally, people wish to keep these artworks with them, in their display, visible to only a select few.

But sometimes, when people can’t own the paintings with money, they ‘steal’ it for personal gains. And then, they are never to be found or seen again. So, here we mention 5 famous paintings that are still away from the public eye.

(Image: Canva AI)

The master painter, Vincent van Gogh, has many famous paintings to his name. From ‘Starry Night’ to his self-portraits, all of his work is beautiful and distinct. But not many people know that van Gogh’s painting ‘Poppy Flowers’ was stolen!A beautiful, soft painting of red and yellow poppies against a dark brown background, it looks realistic, aesthetic, and simply awe-worthy. But, in 2010, the painting was stolen from a museum in Egypt, and its location is still untraceable.

Pablo Picasso, the master of Cubism, and the man who brought forward the ‘female gaze’ that intimidated people during his time, also produced exceptional artworks in his lifetime. And one of his paintings, the ‘Le pigeon aux petits pois’ or ‘The Pigeon with Green Peas’ was stolen from the Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Unfortunately, it is still hidden somewhere, away from public eyes by the thief.

Johannes Vermeer’s ‘The Concert’ is a masterpiece of Dutch Golden Age painting. It had the amazing precision of chiaroscuro and the aesthetics of a Vermeer painting. The painting showed 3 musicians, standing together inside a home, with 2 sitting on a chair, and a girl standing next to them. This one was stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, in one of the largest art heists in history, and remains missing from public eyes to date.

One of Rembrandt’s most beautiful paintings, one that finds mention among the masterpieces, ‘The Storm on the Sea of Galilee’ is a painting about the biblical scene where Jesus calms a storm at his will. The painting is full of movement, drama, and chaos, with people worried for their lives. But Jesus, calm and composed, commons the sea to not cause harm. It is simply beautiful and awe-inspiring, but remains unseen to the public. Why? Because in 1990, the painting was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and hasn’t been recovered since.

One of the oldest paintings of the lot, Raphael’s ‘Portrait of a Young Man’ did not look like a painting, but as if a picture was clicked by a camera and then copied on the canvas. It was aesthetic, realistic, and simply beautiful. The portrait showed a young man with beautiful eyes, sleek hair, and beautiful skin with his eyes piercing into the audience. Unfortunately, the audience has not been able to view it in real life because it was stolen during World War II.

(All paintings from: Pinterest)