Stolen 18th-Century Painting of St. Francis of Assisi Is Returned to a Mexican Church 24 Years After It Was Taken Away

Stolen 18th-Century Painting of St. Francis of Assisi Is Returned to a Mexican Church 24 Years After It Was Taken Away Ver esta publicación en Instagram Una publicación compartida por The Art Loss Register (@artlossregister) An 18th-century painting of St. Francis of Assisi was stolen from the Church of San Francisco de Asis in Mexico, alongside seven other religious artworks back in 2001. Now, nearly 25 years later, the painting has finally been returned […] READ: Stolen 18th-Century Painting of St. Francis of Assisi Is Returned to a Mexican Church 24 Years After It Was Taken Away

Art Nov 19, 2025 0 1 Add to Reading List

Stolen 18th-Century Painting of St. Francis of Assisi Is Returned to a Mexican Church 24 Years After It Was Taken Away

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Una publicación compartida por The Art Loss Register (@artlossregister)

An 18th-century painting of St. Francis of Assisi was stolen from the Church of San Francisco de Asis in Mexico, alongside seven other religious artworks back in 2001. Now, nearly 25 years later, the painting has finally been returned to the temple, located an hour north of Mexico City and about a mile away from the Teotihuacán archaeological site.

The Saint Francis of Assisi (1747) painting’s journey home began in 2017, when it arrived at the Morton Subastas auction house. Then valued between 120,000 and 280,000 Mexican pesos ($6,360 and $14,840, respectively, according to average currency rates in 2017), Morton began the process of cataloguing it, which included taking photos and signing a contract with the previous holder. The process also included uploading the work to Art Loss Register, a worldwide database of about 700,000 stolen artworks, antiques, and collectibles.

To their surprise, Art Loss Register let them know there was a report for that particular painting. “We stopped the auction process,” David Collepardo, manager of antiques and books at Morton, told El País. “Art Loss Register filed the corresponding complaints with the prosecutor’s office, and we tried to contact the owner who provided us with the piece, but we never got a response.” What followed was an extensive investigation and legal procedure that lasted eight years. It was only earlier in 2025 that the authorities told the auction house they could finally start a process to return the painting to the church.

The artwork, which measures 62.5 inches tall by 39.7 inches wide, features the full length of St. Francis. In the portrait, the Catholic friar is seen wearing the characteristic brown robes of the Franciscans, with a cord tied in three knots, symbolizing the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. His hands show stigmata, as he holds a skull in his right hand and a crucifix in the left.

The image features an inscription dedicating it to an Indigenous leader named Gregorio Juan, who appears as a small figure kneeling in prayer before the saint. While the artwork not signed, it is believed to have been painted by Antonio de Torres, one of the most prolific and famous painters of the time, as there is a very similar painting by him at a museum in Monterrey, in northern Mexico.

The artwork was formally re-hung in its original place during a cheerful handover ceremony. With over 1,000 people in attendance, the celebration featured colorful sawdust carpets with religious and Indigenous motifs, dance, food, and prayer. Out of the eight paintings that were stolen, just this one has been returned, but Art Loss Register is optimistic.

“We hope that this landmark recovery will inspire both victims of other historic thefts, as well as auction houses and art dealers, to continue prioritizing due diligence,” writes Art Loss Register, which commended Morton Subastas for doing the right thing. “It’s a reminder that stolen cultural heritage, feared lost forever, can be returned back to its rightful home.”