By Tara John
VENEZUELA
ODALISQUE IN RED TROUSERS, MATISSE
The Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art realized in 2002 that the Matisse original had been switched with a copy. The FBI caught a couple in 2012 attempting to sell the canvas in Miami Beach.
NORWAY
THE SCREAM, MUNCH
It took only 50 seconds for a thief to steal the most important of four versions of this iconic painting from a Norwegian museum in February 1994. It took police two months to recover it.
U.K.
FRUITS ON A TABLE, GAUGUIN
Stolen from a London flat in 1970, this still life was found some 40 years later in the home of an Italian pensioner. He had bought it at a lost-property auction and eventually got to keep the $44 million piece.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Biden Dropped Out
- Ukraine’s Plan to Survive Trump
- The Rise of a New Kind of Parenting Guru
- The Chaos and Commotion of the RNC in Photos
- Why We All Have a Stake in Twisters’ Success
- 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Contact us at letters@time.com