Sunken Treasures of the Frau Maria

Perhaps lost forever beneath Finnish waters, the Frau Maria contained several works of art which was newly acquired by Catherine the Great and bound for her newly commissioned and beloved St Petersburg Museum. The voyage took off in 1771 and met her fate at the ocean floor soon after.

The lost works include 24 paintings by Dutch artists, including Rembrant and Van Goyen, some of which were never seen publicly. These paintings were supposedly very carefully sealed for shipment, and it is believed they could have survived all these years. The find is of huge importance for the art world, and if the works are recovered, would be a gift beyond measure.

The problem in retrieving the treasures is in the politics. Three different countries claim ownership, and no one seems to have enough money to take on the enormous task of raising the ship, which would be a long and painstaking process. Hopefully they can work it out. The idea of finding such a rare treasure, only to let it continue to lie hidden from the world in perpetuity seems a crime to us all.