A Stolen Rubens Painting is Going Home

Peter Pail Rubens painted the picture above, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, in 1621. It's actually just a study for a series of 39 paintings of Biblical subjects that were a commissioned project, but were all destroyed in 1718 in a fire. There were five such studies, the only remains of the series in existence. Right after World War II, the five paintings were being moved from Friedenstein Castle in Gotha, Germany, to keep them from the Soviets, and three were stolen in the process. They were sold to unknown persons, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus ended up in a New York museum that had no idea it had been stolen until a few years ago, when they decided to sell it.

There is no word on how much the museum paid for the painting decades ago or how much it would be worth on the open market, but an original Rubens would be very expensive. How does an owner of a masterpiece handle finding out their museum bought stolen goods? The Buffalo AKG Art Museum negotiated a return of St. Gregory of Nazianzus to Germany. The museum will receive renumeration, but the amount has been not been disclosed. It is said to be fair compensation, but not market price. Read the story of a stolen artwork going home to Friedenstein Castle after almost 80 years at Smithsonian. 

(Image credit: Peter Paul Rubens)