A new BBC podcast series uncovers what really happened when a Leonardo da Vinci painting was taken from Drumlanrig Castle 10 years ago.
The Missing Madonna, which is available from 25 August on BBC Sounds, marks the 20th anniversary of an audacious art heist that set the record for the most valuable painting ever to be stolen in Britain.
The nine-part series features never-before-heard secret recordings and asks serious questions about the way in which stolen artwork – The Madonna of the Yarnwinder – is returned in the UK.
The compelling tale begins with two men posing as tourists, overpowering a Drumlanrig Castle guide, snatching the multi-million-pound masterpiece and fleeing the scene, in Dumfries and Galloway, in a battered white Volkswagen Golf in 2003.
Despite a high-profile investigation involving the FBI, plus the promise of a substantial reward, the painting disappeared into the criminal underworld.
Its owner, the Duke of Buccleuch, could only wait and hope.
Four years later, the masterpiece appeared to resurface on Merseyside when a mysterious man walked into a Liverpool pub and asked to speak to the two men behind the website StolenStuffReunited.com
Those two men were Robbie Graham and Jack Doyle – friends and business partners who ran their own PI firm, Crown Private Investigations, in addition to their website.
Olivia Graham at the National Galleries of Scotland with the Madonna of the Yarnwidner in the background. Credit: BBC
Sensing an opportunity to do something truly historic and collect a big reward, Robbie and Jackie assembled a crack team to help them get the painting back.
For a while it seemed as if everything was progressing well, but after a series of dramatic twists, including a nervy meeting in a village pub car park, the two private investigators were faced with an outcome they never could have predicted.
The Missing Madonna is told by Olivia Graham, daughter of Robbie Graham.
It features interviews with some of the main players in this real-life drama, as well as experts in the field of recovering stolen artwork.
Olivia travels across England and Scotland to piece together a story that hit the headlines on more than one occasion, and had a huge – and lasting – impact on her family.
Gareth Hydes, Commissioning Editor, BBC Scotland, said: ‘This series vividly brings to life one of the most remarkable stories from the art world.
‘It has the classic ingredients of a thriller – plot twists, intrigue, jeopardy and larger-than-life characters.
‘The series will take the audience on a gripping journey, revisiting scenes which are crucial to the story and hearing from many of those who were involved in the drama.’
Read more on Scottish Field’s News pages.
Plus, don’t miss the September issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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