Stolen sculpture returns to France after 30 years

A 300-pound sculpture, “Faune Chasseur” by Alfred Lepère, has been returned to the Musée de Picardie in Amiens, France, over three decades after it was stolen.

The French government originally commissioned Lepère to create the 7.8-foot-tall sculpture for the museum, which opened in 1863. It later moved to the Amiens Zoo before disappearing in July 1993. An unnamed U.S. auction house discovered the sculpture during a routine check with the Art Loss Register, a database of stolen art.

Officials determined the artwork had been stolen and halted the sale. The Art Loss Register then collaborated with the French government and the Centre National des Arts Plastiques to secure the sculpture’s return from its owner, who relinquished it without charge. The recovery highlights the importance of due diligence in the art market, as the sculpture’s theft had gone unnoticed for years.

Charlotte Chambers-Farah of the Art Loss Register stated that the case “demonstrates why thorough due diligence is so important.” The return of “Faune Chasseur” offers hope for the recovery of other stolen artworks, especially as museums worldwide have recently experienced a surge in thefts.