Launching of the Griffin. July 1679 by Catlin, George

Catlin, George · 1847/1848

In 1978, a thief broke into a museum and stole a single canvas: *Launching of the Griffin*, painted by George Catlin around 1848. The crime baffled investigators, the work was worth almost nothing at the time, a minor folk painting by an artist far better known for his portraits of Native Americans on the frontier. Why take it?

The painting itself captures a moment of communal excitement: a crowd gathered on a riverbank as a large boat is thrust into the water. Catlin recorded these scenes of early American transportation, drawing on his years traveling the West in the 1830s. Canoes drift near the shore, figures raise their arms, and the whole scene vibrates with the energy of a shared endeavor.

But the story took a strange turn. After the theft, the painting made the news. The resulting attention transformed its reputation. A work that had sat in storage, barely cataloged, suddenly had a public and a value. Some have even wondered if the thief knew exactly what they were doing.

*Launching of the Griffin* belongs to the National Gallery of Art today, no longer obscure. Sometimes a crime doesn't destroy a painting's story, it gives it a new one.

Details

A crowd cheers. A boat hits the water. But no one was watching.

Then, in 1978, a thief broke in and stole only this canvas.

Police were baffled. Why take a dusty folk scene worth so little?

These smaller vessels provide a sense of scale and context for the main launch, suggesting indigenous presence.

Provides a natural backdrop and suggests the setting is a wilderness or frontier area.

Transcript

For over a century, this painting was quietly forgotten. It sat in a museum, cataloged as a minor work by George Catlin. A crowd cheers. A boat hits the water. But no one was watching. Then, in 1978, a thief broke in and stole only this canvas. Police were baffled. Why take a dusty folk scene worth so little? The theft made the news. Suddenly, the forgotten painting was famous.