Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Scottish Cops Recover Stolen da Vinci in Law Office Raid

Four busted in brazen castle heist

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 5, 2007 8:56 AM CDT

(Newser) – Police in Scotland have recovered a stolen $75 million painting by Leonardo da Vinci in a raid on a top Glasgow law firm that led to four arrests. A lawyer in the firm was among those busted. The "Madonna of the Yarnwinder" was stolen in 2003 from the Duke of Buccleuch's castle when the thieves, posing as tourists, snatched the work off a wall and ran, reports the Scotsman.

Art experts had assumed that the 16th century work was "stolen to order" by a collector as its fame would have rendered it impossible to sell on the market. The duke died last month without seeing his prized painting again. A representative of the raided law firm insisted the arrested attorney was attempting to arrange the painting's return.

Madonna of the Yarnwinder, by Leonardo da Vinci. (Wikimedia)

Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland, site of the theft. (Flickr)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

$160M in Art Stolen in Zurich

'Spectacular' heist nets 4 masterpieces by Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, and Cezanne

(NEWSER) - A gang of armed art thieves absconded with four masterpieces by Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, and Cezanne worth $160 million from a Zurich museum yesterday. The brazen daytime robbery follows a theft of two Picassos in Switzerland just two days earlier. The three masked thieves confronted a guard with guns, grabbed the paintings, and took off in a white vehicle, said authorities, who described the operation as a "spectacular" heist. More»

Thieves Nab a Picasso in Museum Heist

Work by Portinari also missing after quick strike in Brazil

(NEWSER) - Thieves broke into Latin America's foremost museum early yesterday and stole two paintings in a 3-minute heist. They made off with a Picasso portrait and a work by Brazilian painter Candido Portinari from Brazil's São Paulo Museum of Art, the AP reports. The thieves skipped several major works and grabbed only the two canvases, hung far apart, leading police to conclude they were stolen on demand. More»

'Sister' Mona Lisa Found

Experts believe copy was painted by artist working alongside da Vinci

(NEWSER) - A stunning art find means that we can now see what Mona Lisa really looked like, say experts at Madrid's Prado Museum. The museum's researchers found that a painting in its vaults long thought to have been just one of dozens of replicas of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece was actually painted by a copyist who worked alongside da Vinci as he painted the original, the Guardian reports. More»

Warhol Collection Stolen From LA Home

$1 million reward offered after fortune in original Warhol art vanishes

(NEWSER) - A multi-million dollar collection of portraits by Andy Warhol has been stolen from a prominent collector's home, the Los Angeles Times reports. Former investment banker Richard Weisman's housekeeper discovered that The Athletes series of 11 portraits—worth as much as a million a pop—had vanished when she entered the home last Wednesday. There were no signs of forced entry and other artworks, including other Warhols, were undisturbed. More»

Louvre May Have Found New Leonardo Sketches

Three drawings found on back of painting

(NEWSER) - Curators from the Louvre have discovered three sketches on the back of Leonardo da Vinci’s oil painting "Virgin And Child With St Anne" that may be by the master himself, the AFP reports. Museum workers noticed two barely visible sketches, of a horse’s head and a human skull, when the painting was being moved. Further examination uncovered a third sketch, of a baby Jesus and lamb. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Scottish Cops Recover Stolen da Vinci in Law Office Raid

Four busted in brazen castle heist

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

art • Scotland • theft • painting • Leonardo da Vinci • art heist

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

$160M in Art Stolen in Zurich

'Spectacular' heist nets 4 masterpieces by Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, and Cezanne

Thieves Nab a Picasso in Museum Heist

Work by Portinari also missing after quick strike in Brazil

'Sister' Mona Lisa Found

Experts believe copy was painted by artist working alongside da Vinci

Warhol Collection Stolen From LA Home

$1 million reward offered after fortune in original Warhol art vanishes

Louvre May Have Found New Leonardo Sketches

Three drawings found on back of painting

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?