Henri Matisse Odalisque in Red Pants
The theft of Henri Matisse’s Odalisque in Red Pants is not the most thrilling or the most expensive art theft but it is remains rather intriguing nonetheless as no one knows exactly when the painting was stolen. In 2002 the Contemporary Art Museum in Caracas received a call from a man who said that someone had offered to sell him the Odalisque in Red Pants. This was surprising to the museum as that painting was currently on display. However, experts at the museum looked into the matter and realized that the painting they had on their walls was fake and a bad one at that.
It is believed that the fake hung in the museum for at least 2 years as a photo taken in 2000 showed President Hugo Chavez standing in the museum with the fake Matisse behind him. An investigation into the missing painting began but the trail quickly went cold as there were few leads and the theft had occurred years prior. In 2000 the museum had received word that someone was trying to sell the painting but at that point no one followed up and the theft remained unnoticed until 2002.
Then in 2012 there was finally a break in the case as the F.B.I. learned that man in Miami was attempting to sell the painting. Federal agents posed as buyers and arranged to buy the artwork for $740,000. Then a woman flew to Miami from Mexico City with the painting in her possession and met up with the man selling the painting. Agents arrested both of them and the woman told them about how the painting had been stolen and replaced by museum employees. She also said that the painting had been in her possession for several years.
The painting was returned to the museum though the museum remains largely underfunded and neglected. The museum has reported several other missing pieces of art that have not been recovered and experts in Venezuela have said that under Chavez art like that of Matisse is not appreciated or protected.