UK Police Recover Stolen Da Vinci Painting After 4 Years

Society | October 5, 2007, Friday // 00:00

A painting by Leonardo da Vinci worth at least GBP 25 M has been recovered in a police raid four years after it was stolen from Britain's biggest private landowner, UK media reported Friday.

Thieves posing as tourists took the 16th century masterpiece, Madonna ofthe Yarnwinder, from one of the three stately homes of the ninth Duke of Buccleuch.

Its theft sparked a worldwide search and was put on the FBI's list of ten most wanted stolen artworks, while a GBP 1 M reward was offered for its return.

British police said the painting has been found in a raid in Glasgow which led to the arrest of four men, and had been authenticated by art experts who examined it in a secret vault.

The painting had been in the Buccleuch family for more than 250 years and had been admired by thousands of visitors to Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway.

It had been so precious to the eighth duke that he used to put it in the boot of his car and take it with him as he moved between homes.

Said to have been painted before 1510, it depicts the Madonna with the infant Jesus holding a cross-shaped yarnwinder that symbolises the crucifixion.

Leonardo's original, painted in 1501, is in fact lost and the Duke of Buccleuch's version is one of several contemporary copies made by Leonardo or his pupils.

It was stolen in 2003 in a daring raid by two thieves, who posed as visitors joined a tour of the castle until they came to the staircase hall where the painting was on display.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Society » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria