When Masterpieces Go Missing
It’s the kind of story you’d expect from a movie script, not a museum logbook. A long-lost Renoir—stolen from the Baltimore Museum of Art in the early 1950s—vanishes for over six decades, only to pop up at a flea market in West Virginia for the low, low price of seven bucks. It’s a tale of luck, loss, and the laws that keep art where it belongs.
A Tiny Treasure With a Big Story
The painting at the center of this saga isn’t a grand mural or a towering masterpiece. Paysage Bords de Seine measures only about the size of a dinner napkin. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm. Painted in 1879 by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, it captures the tranquil banks of the Seine with that signature shimmer of light and color that made Renoir famous.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
From Paris to Baltimore
The painting eventually found its way across the Atlantic thanks to Saidie Adler May, a prominent Baltimore art collector and patron of the arts. She had a soft spot for Impressionism and an even softer one for Renoir’s dreamy brushwork. Upon passing, she donated her private collection—including this little landscape—to the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
Then One Day—Gone
In 1951, Paysage Bords de Seine disappeared without a trace. There was no high-tech heist, no daring thief caught on film. Just one day, the painting was hanging in the museum—and the next, it wasn’t. A report was filed, but no leads ever surfaced. For decades, the loss was chalked up as one of those unsolvable art-world mysteries.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
The Art World Moved On
As years passed, curators changed, exhibits came and went, and the Renoir became a ghost story whispered among museum staff. With no clues and no ransom notes, most assumed it was gone forever—either destroyed, hidden in a private collection, or lost to time.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
Enter: A Flea Market Find
Jump to 2009. A woman named Marcia Fuqua was browsing a flea market in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Amid the knickknacks and vintage odds and ends, a small framed painting caught her eye. It was pretty, she thought. Worth seven dollars, maybe. She bought it, tossed it in a bag, and brought it home—never suspecting she’d just purchased a stolen Renoir.
EXPLORING HARPERS FERRY, WV | Hiking, History and and happiness, Wild Life with Mark and Donna
Dusting Off a Secret
For a few years, Fuqua kept the painting tucked away. Family members occasionally admired it, but no one realized its true identity. Then, in 2012, she decided to see if it might be worth something and brought it to the Potomack Company auction house in Virginia.
Renoir bought for $7 now in FBI hands, CNN
The Experts Raise Eyebrows
Auction specialists took one look and froze. The brushstrokes, the colors, the faint signature—everything looked authentic. Could it really be a Renoir? As they investigated, the coincidences began piling up, until it was impossible to ignore: this wasn’t just a Renoir—it was the Renoir that had vanished from Baltimore in 1951.
Renoir bought for $7 now in FBI hands, CNN
Reporters Smelled a Story
Once media got wind of the situation, things got even more interesting. Reporters dug through museum archives and uncovered old documents, including the original report of it being taken. They matched the painting exactly—right down to its title and dimensions.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
The FBI Steps In
As soon as the truth came out, the FBI swooped in to seize the painting. The Potomack auction was immediately canceled. What had started as a charming feel-good story about a lucky flea market shopper quickly transformed into a federal case about stolen art, lost history, and museum ownership.
The Tug-of-War
Fuqua maintained that she had no idea the painting was stolen. She insisted she’d bought it fair and square and even had witnesses who remembered her talking about it years before the auction. But under US law, even the most innocent buyer can’t keep stolen property. The rule is simple: if it was stolen, it’s never yours to sell.
The Judge’s Final Ruling
After reviewing all the evidence, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Baltimore Museum of Art. The decision cited overwhelming proof—including museum records, donor paperwork, and the original report—that the Renoir belonged to the museum. The verdict was clear: Paysage Bords de Seine was going home.
A Price Beyond Money
Experts estimate the painting’s current market value to be between $22,000 and $100,000, depending on condition and provenance. But for the museum, the dollar amount hardly matters. The painting’s return represents a triumph of history, legacy, and patience—proof that sometimes, even the most improbable stories can find closure.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
A Silent Response
Fuqua didn’t attend the court hearing, and she’s been quiet ever since. The judge gave her 30 days to appeal, but it seems unlikely she’ll pursue it. After all, fighting against federal art theft laws—and the museum that once owned the piece—would be an uphill battle.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
The Museum Rejoices
In Baltimore, the museum staff could hardly believe their luck. Plans immediately began to prepare the Renoir for display as part of the Baltimore Museum of Art’s centennial celebration. It’s not every day that a stolen painting walks back through the door after more than 60 years.
Stolen Renoir masterpiece returned to Baltimore Museum of Art, WMAR-2 News
Saidie Adler May’s Legacy Lives On
For the late Saidie Adler May, this outcome fulfills her vision of art belonging to everyone, not just collectors or thieves. Her generous donation was meant to enrich the public, and now, decades later, that promise has finally been restored.
Renoir bought for $7 now in FBI hands, CNN
A Case That Captured the Nation
The story spread quickly, fascinating everyone from art historians to casual museum-goers. A $7 flea market find turning out to be a Renoir stolen in 1951? It was the kind of headline that made people double-check every dusty attic and garage sale painting they owned.
Battle Over $7 Renoir Flea Market Find, hstien55rke
Lessons From the Art World
The case also reminded auction houses and collectors of the importance of provenance—the paper trail that proves where a work of art has been. Without it, even masterpieces can slip through the cracks of history, lost until someone stumbles upon them again.
Masterpieces of Modern Art from the Baltimore Museum of Art, Alexander Sokolowski
A Mystery Finally Solved
After decades of confusion, the Renoir mystery is closed. What began as an unsolved theft ended as a story of rediscovery and redemption. The painting’s journey—from Paris to Baltimore to a flea market in West Virginia—spans nearly a century of twists and turns.
BMA to get Renoir painting back, WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore
Home at Last
Soon, visitors to the Baltimore Museum of Art will once again be able to stand before Paysage Bords de Seine and admire its soft light, its dreamy brushstrokes, and the wild, improbable story that brought it home. For art lovers and museum staff alike, it’s a reminder that history never truly loses its way—it just takes the scenic route back.
Once-stolen Renoir painting to be placed on display, WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore
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