Great Courses – Lost Art: Missing Masterpieces

ATTENTION: It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our beloved library program facilitator, Lawrence Brotmann. It is a profound loss for our library community. Lawrence dedicated his time and passion to enriching the lives of those who participated in our Great Courses programs. He played a pivotal role in fostering a love for literature, learning, and community engagement. He left an indelible mark on the hearts of everyone with whom he interacted. During this difficult time, we extend our deepest sympathies to Lawrence’s family and friends.
We find solace in the belief that Lawrence would have wanted the program to continue as his enduring legacy to our community. To honor Lawrence’s wishes and carry forward his vision, we are committed to sustaining The Great Courses program at the library. We understand the importance of the program as a valuable asset to our community, and we believe that continuing it will be a fitting tribute to Lawrence’s memory.

The Pound Ridge Library is pleased to continue of a series of lectures which mark the eleventh year of courses which are part of the library’s continuing presentation of a new educational concept in life-long learning: a series of DVD seminars from The Teaching Company/The Great Courses encompassing a wide variety of subjects, given by outstanding scholars from major colleges and universities throughout the United States. This program, the first of its kind in the country, is designed to provide collegial, small group-setting for courses “you didn’t get to take at college, but wanted to.” The seminars, developed and moderated by the late Lawrence Brotmann of Pound Ridge, NY are held at the library on Thursdays at 12:30 pm and consist of four 30-minute (closed-captioned) lectures per session, most from 3 to 6 weeks per course.

Imagine a Museum of Lost Art. If this imaginary museum contained just the artwork we knew was lost— whether from theft, purposeful destruction, vandalism, war, or the forces of nature—it would still contain more masterpieces than those in all the world’s current museums combined. Imagine that!

In Lost Art: The Stories of Missing Masterpieces, art historian Noah Charney guides you through just such an imaginary museum. In 12 fascinating lectures accompanied by stunning graphics, you will hear the stories behind the theft and/or destruction of some of the world’s most famous pieces of art. From the 21st-century Taliban’s iconoclastic destruction of the 500-year-old Buddha Statues at Bamiyan to the earthquake that felled the Colossus of Rhodes in 226 BCE, no one knows how many great works of art have been destroyed or lost throughout history. Only very few have ever resurfaced.

In this course you will learn about dozens of pieces of art whose whereabout are completely unknown at this time, including:

Paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The biggest art heist in modern history occurred in Boston on March 18, 1990, when 13 paintings were stolen from the Gardner Museum. The FBI values the works by Vermeer and Manet, among others, at $500 million. Some believe the mafia was involved. The museum is still asking the public for leads.

Nativity by Caravaggio. One of the most notorious and long-running unsolved thefts in 1969, this Caravaggio painting was stolen from the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo, Sicily, and it has continued to appear on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted Art list since. Current thinking is that the Sicilian mafia was behind the theft and still has possession of it.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were noted for their architecture, engineering, and the beauty of the plants themselves. The only problem is that no one can find them, not even a reliable trace. Were they simply a matter of fantasy?