The Last Judgment by Hans Memling

The Last Judgment by Hans Memling was originally meant to be part of the central alterpiece of a chapel in Florence, Italy. However, the ship carrying the painting was raided by pirates while on its way to deliver the masterpiece to its final resting place. The pirates offered the painting to the city of Gdansk, Poland, to be part of its cathedral. To this day the painting remains in the Gdansk National Museum. Efforts to return the painting to its home country of Italy have never been successful.

This case is especially famous because the thieves not only were able to steal the painting but were also able to "legitimately" sell the painting to an establishment.

The Last Judgment