University Researcher Cracks Decades-Old Stolen Portrait Mystery
Lost Van Dyck Portrait Recovered: Exeter Sc
holar Unravels 70-Year Art Heist Mystery
An art historian from the University of Exeter has solved the decades-long mystery surrounding the disappearance of a rare oil sketch by Flemish master Anthony van Dyck, stolen from a historic British estate in 1951.
The painting, Portrait of Wolfgang Wilhelm of Pfalz-Neuburg, vanished from Boughton House, the ancestral home of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, where it had been housed since 1682. Its disappearance went unnoticed until 1957, when Mary Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch, recognized it on display at Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum.
After years of uncertainty surrounding how the artwork ended up in the U.S., Dr. Meredith Hale, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter, has finally unraveled the mystery. Through extensive archival research in the UK, US, and Canada, she traced the painting’s journey across continents and uncovered the shocking truth about its theft.
A Thefts Cloaked in Prestige
Dr. Hale’s investigation revealed that the perpetrator was Leonard Gerald Gwynne Ramsey, a respected art historian and editor of The Connoisseur journal. Ramsey visited Boughton House in July 1951 under the guise of researching a publication. During his visit, he seized the opportunity to steal the valuable Van Dyck sketch.
In a surprising twist, correspondence uncovered by Dr. Hale suggests that Ramsey initially intended to sell the painting to fund new curtains for his home. He sought authentication for the work from art expert Ludwig Goldscheider, then sold it anonymously through Christie’s auction house in London for £189 in 1954.
From there, the painting changed hands multiple times, traveling from London to New York before ending up with a second dealer who sold it for $2,700 to Dr. Lillian Malcove. She later donated it to Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum, unaware of its illicit origins.
The Road to Recovery
Once the Duchess of Buccleuch raised concerns, tense exchanges between Harvard’s art director, Professor John Coolidge, and Ramsey ensued. Ramsey attempted to dismiss the accusations, claiming he had purchased the painting at a market in Hemel Hempstead. However, as doubts grew, Harvard returned the painting to Malcove in 1960. After her passing in 1981, the artwork was transferred to the University of Toronto Art Museum, where it remained for decades.
Dr. Hale’s meticulous research ultimately led to the executive committee of the University of Toronto voting to return the painting to its rightful owner, the Duke of Buccleuch, 73 years after its theft.
“This painting was the missing piece of a historic puzzle,” Dr. Hale stated. “Its return restores the integrity of the Boughton oil sketches collection and brings closure to one of art history’s long-standing mysteries.”
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