OBLIVION COLLECTION
    Art history has been written thanks to what millenias have bequeathed us. Museum storerooms are overflowing with artifacts, objects and artworks that have survived uncertainties, turbulences and tragedies.  What about the ones that have failed to present themselves to our contemporary eyes? Whether stolen and never found back, lost over the centuries, vandalised out of misunderstanding, or even destroyed by a natural disasters, every missing work is significant about our own construction of History.

    Numerous researchers and scholars have looked into these loss, always through the prism of a specific lens, such as revolutionary iconoclastic periods, destruction linked to colonization, or even vandalism of contemporary art. Those researches has unfortunately little opportunity to meet, confront and nourish each other, which is why we have imagined Oblivion Collection.

    Oblivion Collection is an online archive project that attempts to sketch a history of art through what millenias have removed from our eyes. If the adages teaches us that history is written bu the victorious, Oblivion Collection offers the losers, the invisibles, the disappeared, the chance to exist in a new form, and to write an history of their own. Any attempt to write History is, by definition, incomplete, that’s why it is essential for this project to be collective and participatory, in order to multiply as many points of views and ways of collecting informations as possible.    

    Oblivion Collection has no limit. No geographical or chronological restrictions allows us to turn this collection into a vault, the ultimate location of works that are supposed to be forgotten. Gathering together this collection of missing works is a way of overcoming the taboo surrounding the loss of works of art. Every institution, artist and collection have, alas, experienced the loss of an artwork. Yet few people speak out publicly about these losses. Oblivion Collection's aim is to become the place where all these disappearances are collected and remembered.

    By inviting scholars, thinkers, institutions, artists, and individuals to complete this collection, we hope to help rethinking the way we write our common narrative, and  reimagining our relationship to objects and images. We are planning to publish an online database gathering more than 10 000 notices by the end of 2024. This database will be accessible online and modifiable by any and will allow visitors to rediscover many artworks thanks to the power of hyperlinks. Several events are also being organised to bring those lost artworks back to life.





+ TITLE: Vénus aux chiffons
+ ARTIST: Michelangelo Pistoletto 
+ YEAR: 1967
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Installation
+ SIZE:
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Vandalism
+ DATE OF LOSS: 12/07/2023
+ LAST LOCATION: Piazza Municipio (Naples, Italy)
+ NOTE(S): 
+ SOURCE(S): Journal des Arts
+ CREDITS: Twitter


+ TITLE: Mazarin
+ ARTIST: Jean Hégésippe Vetter
+ YEAR: 1872
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on wood
+ SIZE: 41x61
+ STATUS: Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 24/05/2023
+ LAST LOCATION: Assemblée Nationale (Paris, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée d’Orsay’s collections - LUX 254
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - RAPPORT SUR L'ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE & Musée d’Orsay
+ CREDITS: Musée d’Orsay



+ TITLE: Two-headed chicken
+ ARTIST: Mariia Pryimachenko
+ YEAR: 1977
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Painting
+ SIZE:
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 02/2022 
+ LAST LOCATION: Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum (Ivankiv, Ukraine)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): MFA of Ukraine
+ CREDITS: MFA of Ukraine


+ TITLE: Paysage mystique
+ ARTIST: Yvette Alde
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 36×66
+ STATUS: Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 15/02/2021 
+ LAST LOCATION: French Embassy (Dublin, Ireland)
+ NOTE(S): CNAP’s  collections - FNAC 16588
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - Rapport sur l’Europe du Nord & CNAP
+ CREDITS: CNAP


+ TITLE: Composition
+ ARTIST: Léon Tutundjian
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Painting
+ SIZE: 41×61
+ STATUS: Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 14/09/2020
+ LAST LOCATION: French Embassy (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
+ NOTE(S): CNAP’s collections - FNAC 20290
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - Rapport sur l’Afrique & CNAP
+ CREDITS: CNAP


+ TITLE: A Boy Drinking
+ ARTIST: Annibale Carracci
+ YEAR: 1580
+ CENTURY: 16
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 75,5×64
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 14/03/2020
+ LAST LOCATION: Christ Church Picture Gallery (Oxford, UK)
+ NOTE(S): 
+ SOURCE(S): barnebys.fr
+ CREDITS: artuk.org

        

+ TITLE: Arc et Obélisque ou Ruines antiques
+ ARTIST: Giovanni Paolo Panini      
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 18    
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas   
+ SIZE: 71×55      
+ STATUS: Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 26/06/2019    
+ LAST LOCATION: Palais de l’Elysée (Paris, France)  
+ NOTE(S): Musée du Louvre’s collections - MNR 326   
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - Synthèse du récolement des dépôts des biens culturels de l’Etat - Résidences de la Présidence de la République & Musée du Louvre
+ CREDITS: Musée du Louvre



+ TITLE: Adandozan‘s throne
+ ARTIST:
+ YEAR: 1810
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Wood
+ SIZE:      
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Fire
+ DATE OF LOSS: 02/09/2018   
+ LAST LOCATION: Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): Esclavages et subjectivités - Mariza de Carvalho Soares - 2012
+ CREDITS: Esclavages et subjectivités - Mariza de Carvalho Soares - 2012

+ TITLE: 31 janvier 1801
+ ARTIST: Antonio Recalcati
+ YEAR: 1976
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 200×150
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS:  13/12/2013
+ LAST LOCATION:  Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations (New-York City, USA)    
+ NOTE(S): CNAP’s collections - FNAC 32716  
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - Synthèse du récolement des dépôts d’oeuvres d’art de l’Etat aux Etats-Unis & CNAP
+ CREDITS: CNAP

   


+ TITLE: Poppy Flowers
+ ARTIST: Vincent van Gogh
+ YEAR: 1886
+ CENTURY:  19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 65×54
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 21/08/2010
+ LAST LOCATION: Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum (Giza, Egypt)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): The Art Newspaper
+ CREDITS: Wikimedia


+ TITLE: La Femme à l’éventail
+ ARTIST: Amedeo Modigliani
+ YEAR: 1919
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 100×65
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 19/05/2010
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Paris, France)
+ NOTE(S): 
+ SOURCE(S): JOURNAL DES ARTS
+ CREDITS: WIKIMEDIA


+ TITLE: B of the Bang
+ ARTIST: Thomas Heatherwick
+ YEAR: 2005
+ CENTURY: 21
+ MEDIUM: Metal
+ SIZE: 56 000
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Intention
+ DATE OF LOSS: 04/2009
+ LAST LOCATION: Manchester (Manchester, England)
+ NOTE(S): 
+ SOURCE(S): BBC
+ CREDITS: WIKIMEDIA



+ TITLE: Hole and Vessel II
+ ARTIST: Anish Kapoor    
+ YEAR: 1984
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Mixed media, polystyrene, cement, earth, acrylic and pigment
+ SIZE: 94×163×110
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 2004
+ LAST LOCATION: Fine Arts Logistic’s warehouse (London, England)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): The Guardian & Anish Kapoor
+ CREDITS: Anish Kapoor



+ TITLE: The World Trade Center Tapestry
+ ARTIST: Joan Miró & Josep Royo
+ YEAR: 1974
+ CENTURY: 20 
+ MEDIUM:Tapestry
+ SIZE:610×1100
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 11/09/2001
+ LAST LOCATION: World Trade Center (New-York City, USA)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S):
+ CREDITS: Jordy Gomara



+ TITLE: Nature morte aux fruits
+ ARTIST: Jan Davidsz de Heem   
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 17
+ MEDIUM: Painting    
+ SIZE: 22×17
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 1997
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée de l’Echevinage (Saintes, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée du Louvre’s collections - MNR 483
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - Synthèse Charente-Maritime & Musée du Louvre
+ CREDITS: Musée du Louvre


   


+ TITLE: The Concert
+ ARTIST: Johannes Vermeer
+ YEAR: 1633
+ CENTURY: 17
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas 
+ SIZE: 72,5×64,7
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 18/03/1990
+ LAST LOCATION: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, USA)
+ NOTE(S): Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum‘s collection - P21w27 
+ SOURCE(S): Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
+ CREDITS: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum


+ TITLE: Tailleur de pierre dans la plaine Saint Denis
+ ARTIST: Adolphe Martial Potémont
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Painting
+ SIZE:   
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 1989
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée du Domaine départemental de Sceaux (Sceaux, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée du Domaine départemental de Sceaux’ collections: 37.1.42 
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr


+ TITLE: Les disciples d’Emmaüs
+ ARTIST: Anonymous 
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 
+ MEDIUM: Painting on wood
+ SIZE: 36×28
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS:  20/08/1985
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée barrois (Bar-le-Duc, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée barrois’s collections - 843.31 ; A.341 (registre A)
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr
            


+ TITLE: Nativity
+ ARTIST: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
+ YEAR: 1609
+ CENTURY: 17
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 268×197
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS: 10/1969
+ LAST LOCATION: Oratorio di San Lorenzo (Palermo, Italy)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): FBI
+ CREDITS: Wikimedia


+ TITLE: La Tour de Babel
+ ARTIST: Anonymous
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 16
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE:  126×155
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 1948
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée de la Chartreuse (Douai, France)     
+ NOTE(S): Musée de la Chartreuse’s collections - 51 (disp)
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr



+ TITLE:  The Annunciation
+ ARTIST: Sandro Botticelli
+ YEAR: 1505
+ CENTURY: 16
+ MEDIUM: Oil on poplar panel
+ SIZE: 106×113
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 06/05/1945
+ LAST LOCATION: Flakturm Friedrichshain (Berlin, Germany)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): NGA.org
+ CREDITS: NGA.org


+ TITLE: Portrait of a Young Man
+ ARTIST: Raphael
+ YEAR: 1514
+ CENTURY: 16
+ MEDIUM: Oil on wood panel
+ SIZE: 75×59     
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 20/01/1945
+ LAST LOCATION:  Hans Christoph and Herta von Wietersheim-Kramsta’s Palace (Morawa, Poland)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): Monuments men and women
+ CREDITS: Wikimedia







+ TITLE: Jean d’Aire
+ ARTIST: Auguste Rodin
+ YEAR: 1887
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Bronze 
+ SIZE: 210×90×100
+ STATUS:  Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 1944
+ LAST LOCATION:  Musée Rodin (Paris, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée d’Orsay’s collections - LUX 374
+ SOURCE(S): CRDOA - Rapport sur le département de Paris & musee-orsay.fr
+ CREDITS: musee-orsay.fr


   
+ TITLE: Quatrième discours des dames galantes de Brantôme
+ ARTIST:  Lucien Mélingue  
+ YEAR: 1876
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 150×110
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 1944
+ LAST LOCATION:  Musée des Beaux-Arts (Caen, France) 
+ NOTE(S): Musée des Beaux-Arts’ collections - OD.5
+ SOURCE(S): pop.culture.gouv
+ CREDITS: pop.culture.gouv

             

+ TITLE: Les Vendeurs de chair humaine
+ ARTIST: Gaston Mélingue    
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas 
+ SIZE:225×135  
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Conflict
+ DATE OF LOSS: 1944 
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée des Beaux-Arts (Caen, France)       
+ NOTE(S): Musée des Beaux-Arts's collections - OD.4
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr
 


   

+ TITLE: Abendstunde
+ ARTIST: Caspar David Friedrich
+ YEAR: 1818
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 30,5×22     
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Fire
+ DATE OF LOSS: 06/06/1931
+ LAST LOCATION: Glaspalast (München, Germany)   
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): “Verlorene Werke deutscher romantischer Malerei” - Georg Jacob Wolf - 1931
+ CREDITS: Wikimedia



   

+ TITLE: Die Grablegung Christi
+ ARTIST: Peter von Cornelius
+ YEAR: 1813
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on wood
+ SIZE: 30,5×22
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Fire
+ DATE OF LOSS: 06/06/1931
+ LAST LOCATION: Glaspalast (München, Germany)
+ NOTE(S): 
+ SOURCE(S): “Verlorene Werke deutscher romantischer Malerei” - Georg Jacob Wolf - 1931
+ CREDITS: Wikimedia


   


+ TITLE: Guido Da Montefeltre, Vom Teufel Erfasst. Eine Szene Aus Dantes Divina Commedia
+ ARTIST: Joseph Anton Koch    
+ YEAR: 1803
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 53×43
+ STATUS: Destroyed
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Fire
+ DATE OF LOSS: 06/06/1931
+ LAST LOCATION: Glaspalast (München, Germany)
+ NOTE(S):
+ SOURCE(S): “Verlorene Werke deutscher romantischer Malerei” - Georg Jacob Wolf - 1931
+ CREDITS: Wikimedia


+ TITLE: Cri maternel
+ ARTIST: Paul Descelles  
+ YEAR: 1904
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Painting
+ SIZE: 165×205
+ STATUS:  Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS:
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée départemental d'art ancien et contemporain (Epinal, France)  
+ NOTE(S): CNAP's collections - FNAC 1410
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr & CNAP
+ CREDITS: CNAP


    

+ TITLE: Canal glacé avec des patineurs
+ ARTIST: Anthonie Verstraele
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 17
+ MEDIUM: Oil on wood
+ SIZE: 21×40
+ STATUS:  Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS: 
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée des Beaux-Arts (Quimper, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée des Beaux-Arts’ collections but no inventory number 
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr


+ TITLE: untitled
+ ARTIST: Maxime Descombin
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 20
+ MEDIUM: Ink on paper
+ SIZE: 32,5×50
+ STATUS:  Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS:
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée des Ursulines (Mâcon, France)  
+ NOTE(S): Musée des Ursulines’ collections - 994.2.0.518
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr
 

+ TITLE: La Bièvre
+ ARTIST: Alexis Andre
+ YEAR:
+ CENTURY: 
+ MEDIUM: Marble
+ SIZE:
+ STATUS:  Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS:
+ LAST LOCATION: Mairie (Montblanc, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée d'Orsay's collections - LUX 261
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr & musee-orsay.fr
+ CREDITS: musee-orsay.fr


   

+ TITLE: Soldat avec une femme
+ ARTIST: Pieter-Jacobs Codde  
+ YEAR: 1630
+ CENTURY: 17
+ MEDIUM: Painting
+ SIZE: 18,8×27,6
+ STATUS: Stolen
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Theft
+ DATE OF LOSS:
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie (Besançon, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archéologie’s collections  - 845.5.1
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr

   

+ TITLE: Jésus guérissant un possédé
+ ARTIST: Raymond Quinsac Monvoisin
+ YEAR: 1816
+ CENTURY: 19
+ MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
+ SIZE: 318×288
+ STATUS: Missing
+ CIRCUMSTANCES: Negligence
+ DATE OF LOSS:    
+ LAST LOCATION: Musée des Beaux-Arts (Bordeaux, France)
+ NOTE(S): Musée des Beaux-Arts’ collections: Bx E 58
+ SOURCE(S): pop.gouv.fr
+ CREDITS: pop.gouv.fr