Worcester Art Museum accused of possessing stolen 13th-century stained-glass window

WORCESTER — The Worcester Art Museum is one of three American museums being accused of illegally possessing 13th-century stained-glass windows allegedly stolen from Rouen Cathedral in France.

A French heritage association is seeking their return. The Worcester Art Museum's window depicts the Messengers from Ephesus before Emperor Theodosius II (an Episode from the "Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus") and was painted between 1200 and 1210.

The American art magazine ARTnews and The Boston Globe have recently published stories based on reporting by the French daily newspaper Ouest-France. According to Ouest-France, the Parisian lumière sur le patrimoine, a heritage defense association in France, has filed a complaint with the Rouen public prosecutor for concealment of theft against the Worcester Art Museum, Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

However, the Worcester Art Museum said it acquired its window at a public sale in 1921 and has never been contacted about it.

Philippe Machiote, president of the heritage defense association, said the stained-glass thefts were committedwithin Rouen Cathedral at the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century. "Smuggled through the Parisian market, these stained-glass windows ended up in the hands of American collectors and, after their death, in museums. This is why I filed a complaint in mid-December with the Rouen public prosecutor for concealment of theft, the theft being prescribed," Machiote said in an English translation of a Ouest-France story that is in French.

The stained-glass window panels depict the “Seven Sleepers of Ephesus,” a famous Christian legend. Machiotte is seeking their return to France because they are “inalienable national treasures.”

The Worcester Art Museum in a statement released to the Telegram & Gazette Tuesday said: "The Worcester Art Museum takes its curatorial and ethical responsibilities towards its collection very seriously. The Museum acquired the stained-glass window at a public sale in 1921 and has never been contacted regarding this work of art. If the Museum receives information or a claim, we will consider it carefully and in compliance with best practices."

This is not the first allegation the Worcester Art Museum has received recently concerning improper possession of allegedly stolen works of art.

In September the museum announced that it has transferred ownership of the Roman bronze bust "Portrait of a Lady (A Daughter of Marcus Aurelius?)" to the Manhattan district attorney’s office in New York City after receiving information that it was "likely stolen and improperly imported." A warrant signed by a judge in Manhattan had ordered the seizure of the statue. The museum said it purchased "Portrait of a Lady" in October 1966.

A few days later in September the museum said in a statement that it would hire a provenance research specialist and increase the scrutiny of its collection. Provenance research includes the history of the ownership of a work of art.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Art Museum accused of possessing stolen French art treasure