This is a shortened history of some of the most precious paintings of the Brukenthal museum collection, that suddenly disappeared, event about which in the Romania (at that time a communist country, with a highly controlled and censured mass media) circulated for decades the wildest rumors, the truths being discovered and revealed only 30 years later. Today the whole story can be described as one of the most famous robberies in the history of art.

    On 26th May 1968, eight paintings were stolen from the Arts Gallery of the Brukenthal Museum. These were:

• Titian, "Ecce Homo"

• Anton van Dyck, " Cleopatra’s Death";

• Frans van Mieris the Elder, "Man with a Pipe in a Bow Window";

• Rosalba Carriera, "Portrait of a Lady";

• Jörg Brew, "Portrait of a Man";

• German Anonymous, "Portrait of a Man in a Fur Coat";

• Cristoph Amberger, "Portrait of a Man";

• The Master of the Legend of Saint Augustin, "Portrait of a Man with a Skull".

    The photos with thorough descriptions and evidence data were given to the INTERPOL., there were found hypothetical culprits, but the works were lost and the thieves were not identified. As time passed by the possibility of finding the paintings seemed more and more unlikely. Only the experts were nostalgically recalling the stolen paintings, and the set of stamps, issued only two month before the theft reminded especially to art stamp collectors about the lost beauties of the Brukenthal museum.

    Please read below about progress of events, as revealed by US officials.

    1971, in Austria, Vienna, a Romanian asylum searching citizen bought - with money from his American relatives - four old paintings, for just 1200 US Dollars (!). Shortly after that "business affair" he settled in Miami, USA.

    1998, January, New York. The owner of the painting, wishing to find out more details regarding his old acquisitions, asked an art appraiser about their value. The latter took contact with an art gallery owner in Manhattan, who photographed two of the paintings, and wrote to the Royal Institute of Historical Arts Studies in Hague (Holland).

    1998, February 13, The Hague. Professor Rudolf E. O. Ekkart, the director of the Royal Institute of Historical Studies in Hague, recognized one of the previous stolen paintings from Sibiu and wrote to the director of the Brukenthal Museum, Mr. Alexandru Lungu, bringing to his attention the coming out of the painting "Portrait of a Man with a Skull" by The Master of the Legend of Saint Augustin.

    1998, February. Mr. Alexandru Lungu gave the information to UNESCO Bureau in Paris and this informed the INTERPOL. From this moment on the events developed quickly. The art gallery owner in Manhattan, knowing the owner's name and address gave them to a Customs officer in Miami, USA.

    1988, April. Miami, USA. The investigations made by the Customs officers led to the finding of other three paintings:

• Titian, "Ecce Homo"

• Rosalba Carriera, "Portrait of a Lady",

• Frans van Mieris the Elder, "Man with a Pipe in a Bow Window".

    1998, May, Miami, USA. The four paintings were studied by an expert from Miami. The conclusion was that they were those stolen thirty years ago from Romania.

    1998, July 15-18. Washington D.C. An exhibition was organized in the atrium of the World Bank in order to exhibit the four paintings.

    1998, May 18, Washington D.C. The president of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, received, during an official ceremony, the four paintings that had been stolen from the Brukenthal Museum and found 30 year later. Their redeeming was due to the U.S. Customs.

    1998, July 22, Bucharest, Romania. A valuable parcel is received by the experts from the Brukenthal Museum, National Arts Museum in Bucharest and representatives of the Department of Culture.

   1998, August 6 - 30. Bucharest The four paintings are exhibited at the National Arts Museum in Bucharest.

    1998, September, Sibiu. And finally, after thirty years, the four valuable paintings took back their place in the European Arts Gallery in the Brukenthal National Museum. (After: http://www.verena.ro/brukenthal/events.htm)

   I'm aware that the data presented above aren't complete yet.  I just wonder:

a) who has actually stolen the paintings, how, and what happened to him

b) what happened with the three paintings that weren't returned to Romania (?), and especially where is the most renown of them, the Titian's "Ecce Homo". 

     Just to notice that I had the privilege to admire all the mentioned paintings at Brukenthal; this took place during my youth, as I visited the museum with a group.