HOUSTON, Texas -- An oil painting by French Impressionist
Pierre Auguste Renoir stolen from a Houston home last year—and estimated
to be worth $1 million—is the newest addition to the FBI’s Top Ten Art
Crimes list.
The painting, Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair, was stolen during an armed robbery on September 8, 2011.
The homeowner was watching television when she heard a loud noise
downstairs. When she went to investigate, she was confronted by an armed
man in a ski mask.
“We hope that adding the Renoir to the
FBI’s Top Ten list and publicizing the reward of up to $50,000 for
information leading to the recovery of the painting will prompt someone
to come forward,” said Peter Schneider, a sergeant with the Houston
Police Department who is a member of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force
in Houston.
Information about the painting has been
included in the FBI’s National Stolen Art File, as well as other similar
online tools—including the Art Loss Register and Interpol’s Works of
Art database—that alert art dealers, gallery owners, and auction houses
about missing and stolen artwork.
“If the thief tries to place the painting
with a reputable dealer or gallery, or tries to sell it at auction,
members of the art community here and overseas who regularly check these
databases will see that the artwork has been stolen and will alert the
FBI,” said Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, who manages the Bureau’s art theft
program. “Our goal is to provide information about this theft to the
widest audience possible,” she said.
Renoir, a master Impressionist, painted
Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair in 1918. The
canvas size is 50.17 x 41.28 centimeters, and the artist signed the oil
portrait in the lower right corner. The painting was taken with its
frame intact from the stairwell where it hung.
The masked robber, who forced entry
through the back door of the home, is described as a white male, 18 to
26 years old, who weighs about 160 pounds and is approximately 5’-10”
tall. He was armed with a large-caliber, semi-automatic handgun.
Sgt. Schneider said that while Houston has
had its share of art crimes, few have been as high-profile as the theft
of the Renoir. He added that the thief would likely try to sell the
painting in a larger art community like New York or Los Angeles, or
possibly overseas.
The FBI established the Top Ten Art Crimes
list in 2005. Since then, six paintings and one sculpture have been
recovered, including a Rembrandt self-portrait and another Renoir work
titled Young Parisian stolen from Sweden’s National Museum. The current
list may be found on our art theft program page listed below.
Anyone with information
about the stolen Renoir is encouraged to contact their local FBI office
or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or to submit a tip online at
www.fbi.gov. A private insurer is offering up to $50,000 for information
leading to the recovery of the painting.
