Which Rembrandt’s Paintings Are Still Missing?
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is generally simply known as Rembrandt. He was a Dutch painter, printmaker, and draftsman. Rembrandt van Rijn is widely considered one of the greatest visual artists in art history. Many regarded him as the most crucial painter in Dutch art history.
Over the years, at least 81 Rembrandt paintings have been reported as stolen worldwide. Most of these Rembrandt artworks have been found again, but at least 4 Rembrandt paintings are missing.
It is hard to pinpoint how many Rembrandt van Rijn paintings have been stolen and found and whether there are more than three still missing. Some art critics believe that more than 81 Rembrandt artworks have been stolen over the years but that in many instances, the thefts have not been reported.
When artworks are stolen from museums, art galleries, or private collections, it is often kept quiet as it can ruin an institution’s image.
Why Steal Something You can’t Sell?
To steal famous artwork like Rembrandt paintings is an irrational act. Generally, when a thief steals something, it can be used or exchanged for money.
If, for instance, you steal electronic devices, you can use or sell them, or if you steal a car, you can drive or sell it. But if you’ve stolen a Rembrandt, you can’t show it off as a status symbol to others or try to sell it.
According to psychologists, stealing well-known artworks is mainly motivated by the perceived opportunity to take something of significant value.
The artworks are stolen because of an urge to own something that nobody else in the world could have. That is mainly why some stolen famous works “disappear.”
Rembrandt Paintings that are Still Missing
But let’s look at the Rembrandt van Rijn paintings that are known to be still missing.
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee
The most famous missing Rembrandt painting is probably “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee.” It is a 1633 oil-on-canvas painting. This painting is as far as Rembrandt’s only seascape. It is a depiction of the miracle where Jesus calmed the Sea of Galilee, as described in the Gospel of Mark.
Most art critics accept that the extra man in the boat with the 12 disciples and Jesus is Rembrandt. Therefore there are 14 people on the ship and not 13 as described in the Gospel of Mark. It is believed that the figure looking out of the painting is Rembrandt’s self-portrait.
According to art critics and researchers, the “Storm on the Sea of Galilee” is one of the most valuable missing works in the world. The work was stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and is still missing.
There is a $5 million reward for information regarding the robbery and the possible recovery. The museum in Boston still displays the empty frame of the stolen painting.
A Lady and Gentleman in Black
“A Lady and Gentleman in Black” by Rembrandt is another artwork that is still missing. Although this painting was created when Rembrandt was only 26 or 27, he had already achieved excellent technical skills. As a result, works from this stage of his life were the paintings that made him famous.
With “A Lady and Gentleman in Black,” Rembrandt included both figures on the same canvas. It was Rembrandt’s first double portrait where he used that technique. It’s also a large painting – it is more than 4-feet high and about 3½-feet wide.
The most incredible aspect of the masterpiece is the position of the two figures. The woman in the painting, who is sitting in an elegant chair, looks out of the painting but not at the viewer. The man is standing in the center, and to his left is another chair. The woman, man, and chair form a triangle that symbolizes stability.
This Rembrandt van Rijn painting was also stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and is still missing. The museum also still displays the empty frame of this stolen painting
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
The “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” was also stolen from the same museum in Boston.
This Rembrandt artwork is a tiny etching and is only 1 inch and ¾ wide by about 2 inches high. However, art lovers deemed this etching as one of Rembrandt’s marvels. It is believed that this self-portrait depicts Rembrandt as he must have looked when he was about 30 years of age.
The artwork is also known as “Rembrandt with three mustaches.” In the picture he has three mustaches—one on his lip and one on his chin; the cap also seems to have a mustache as well.
Like the previous two works discussed, this etching was also stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Landscape with Cottages
This landscape painting, “Landscape with Cottages” by Rembrandt van Rijn was painted in 1654. Rembrandt used oil on the panel to create the work. The artwork was acquired by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, from where it was stolen in 1972.
It is believed that the painting still exists. Although many think it is still in Canada or the US, most investigators believe it is somewhere in Latin America.
The Bottom Line
We know of at least 4 Rembrandt paintings that have been stolen and are still missing. There might even be more unreported stolen ones. Unfortunately, the whole story on why they’ve been stolen will probably never be known.