Tells the fascinating stories of artworks stolen, looted, or destroyed in war, accidentally demolished or discarded, lost at sea or in natural disasters, or attacked by iconoclasts or vandals; works that were intentionally temporal, knowingly destroyed by the artists themselves or their patrons, covered over with paint or plaster, or recycled for their materials.

In April 1945, the Nazis, reeling and near defeat, frantically work to hide the huge store of art treasures that Hitler has looted from Europe. Truck convoys loaded with the cultural wealth of the Western world pour in an unending stream into the compound of the vast Altaussee salt mine high in the Austrian Alps. But with the Allies closing in, the vaunted efficiency of the Nazis has broken down. At Altaussee, all is tumult and confusion. In the commotion,...

Forged of the exquisite gem, the Amber Room is one of the greatest treasures ever made by man₆and the subject of one of history₂s most intriguing mysteries. German troops invading the Soviet Union seized the Room in 1941. When the Allies bombed, the Room was hidden, and it has never been seen since. But now, the hunt has begun once more. Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler loves her job and her kids, and remains civil to her ex-husband, Paul. But everything...

A captivating dramatic thriller set just after WWII, an all but forgotten true story about a soldier, Joseph Piller, investigating renowned Dutch artist Han van Meegeren who is accused of conspiring with the Nazis. Despite increasing evidence, Piller becomes more and more convinced of Han's innocence and finds himself in the improbable position of fighting to save the life of the colorful man with a mysterious past.

"The gripping true story of the bold and determined museum curators who saved the priceless treasures of China's Forbidden City in the years leading up to World War II and beyond"-- Spring, 1933. Peking's Forbidden City is tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead, its troops and tanks are only hours away. How will the curators protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge? A million pieces of art -- objects that...

In 1939, curators at the Louvre nestled the world's most famous painting into a special red velvet-lined case and spirited her away to the Loire Valley. As the Germans neared Paris in 1940, the French raced to move the masterpieces again and again during the war. Throughout the German occupation, the Louvre's staff fought to keep the priceless treasures out of enemy hands, often risking their lives to protect the country's artistic heritage. This...

"The world was stunned when eighty-year old Cornelius Gurlitt became an international media superstar in November 2013 on the discovery of over 1,400 artworks in his 1,076 square-foot Munich apartment, valued at around $1.35 billion. Gurlitt became known as a man who never was - he didn't have a bank account, never paid tax, never received social security. He simply did not exist. He had been hard-wired into a life of shadows and secrecy by his own...

An unlikely World War II platoon has been tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. With the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could they possibly succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time, they would risk their lives to protect...

When Hitler's armies occupied Italy in 1943, they also seized control of mankind's greatest cultural treasures. As they had done throughout Europe, the Nazis could now plunder the masterpieces of the Renaissance, the treasures of the Vatican, and the antiquities of the Roman Empire. In May 1944 two unlikely American heroes--artist Deane Keller and scholar Fred Hartt--embarked from Naples on the tresure hunt of a lifetime, tracking billions of dollars...

"Milan, 1492: When a sixteen-year old beauty becomes the mistress of the Duke of Milan, she must fight for her place in the palace, and against those who want her out. Soon, she finds herself sitting before Leonardo da Vinci, who wants to ensure his own place in the ducal palace by painting his most ambitious portrait to date. Munich, World War II: After a modest conservator unwittingly places a priceless Italian Renaissance portrait into the hands...