"The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" is a work that has been so adored that it has become infamous as the most stolen artwork in history. Of all the many times the piece was stolen, however, there is one incident that stands above the rest as probably the most significant theft, because it is the only time that part of the painting went missing, never to be seen again. It is an enduring historical whodunit that deserves to be remembered.
By September of 1944, the Western Allies had broken out of the Normandy beachehead, and suddenly and quickly moved across northern France . By September 7th, the 90th division was stretched across the northern sector on Patton’s Third Army’s left, advancing slowly northeast. As they did so the German defenders made a risky attack in an effort to spoil the allied advance, cutting through Allied lines in a surprise action at the small town of Mairy-Mannville.