Rare Painting Stolen from Chatsworth House 45 Years Ago Found at Auction
A painting stolen over 40 years ago in a smash and grab raid has been safely returned to its owner, Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, UK, after being spotted at an art auction in France.
The oil on wood painting, “A Double Portrait of Sir Peter Paul Rubens and Sir Anthony Van Dyck” by Erasmus Quelliness II (1640s) had been lent to the Towner Art Gallery in Eastborne, southeast England. Thieves broke into the gallery on 26 May 1979 and stole the painting, leaving behind valuable original Van Dyck drawings.
After being lost for decades, the painting was found at a small regional auction house in France in 2021 and was restored before being returned to Chatsworth. The return was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic but after three years of negotiation, the painting is now back on display.
The recovery manager at the Art Loss Register expressed the rarity of tracing a stolen painting back to its original location and hopes this success story will inspire others seeking the return of stolen artwork. The news of the painting’s return was met with joy by Peter Day, the retired keeper of the Chatsworth Collection who was in post at the time of the theft.
Overall, the safe return of the stolen painting is a heartwarming conclusion to a decades-old art heist.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.