A significant piece of art history has been restored with the recovery of a 17th-century double portrait of renowned Flemish artists Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. The painting, created by Erasmus Quellinus II, another distinguished Flemish artist, had been missing for over four decades after being stolen in 1979 from the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne, England. The artwork, originally part of the Devonshire Collections at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, was on loan to the gallery at the time of the theft.
The portrait, an oil on wood masterpiece, was part of an exhibition organized by Peter Day, a retired librarian at Chatsworth. The show was first displayed in 1978 at a gallery in Sheffield before being moved to Towner Art Gallery in 1979, where it was stolen on May 26 in what was described by the late 11th Duke of Devonshire, Andrew Cavendish, as a “smash and grab” robbery. The theft left a significant void in the art world, with the painting’s whereabouts unknown for decades.
The painting’s remarkable journey towards recovery began in 2020 when Belgian art historian Bert Schepers spotted it at an art auction in Toulon, France. Recognizing the significance of the work, Schepers immediately alerted Chatsworth House about the rediscovery.
This led to a collaborative effort involving the Art Loss Register, a specialized database that tracks stolen art, to negotiate the painting’s return. Over three years, the Art Loss Register worked closely with the seller to secure an agreement that would bring the painting back to its rightful place.
Lucy O’Meara from the Art Loss Register expressed her delight at the successful recovery, stating, “Despite that long period of time since the loss, we are delighted to have been able to secure its return to Chatsworth where it belongs, and this should give hope to others who are still seeking the return of pictures stolen decades ago.”
Following its recovery, the painting underwent restoration by Critchlow & Kukkonen, a UK-based art restoration firm. The restored portrait was returned to Chatsworth in May 2024 and is scheduled to be displayed at the National Galleries of Scotland’s Royal Scottish Academy building in November.
Charles Noble, the curator of fine art at Chatsworth, shared his astonishment at the painting’s return, saying, “It was over 40 years ago, and after that sort of time, you don’t expect a painting to reappear again.”
This recovery not only restores a significant piece of art but also offers hope to others who have lost valuable artworks to theft, demonstrating that even after decades, stolen masterpieces can find their way back home.