Looters Collection

Belfast riots, August 1920
A double page spread from the Illustrated London News, reporting on rioting in Belfast that began on the night of the 23rd August, and continued for a week

Belfast riots, July 1920
A double page spread from the Illustrated London News, reporting on rioting in Belfast from 20th to 23rd July 1920. 18 people were killed, and 200 wounded during the disturbances

Plundering a Farmhouse, from the series The Miseries of War, 1633 (oil on copper)
868252 Plundering a Farmhouse, from the series The Miseries of War, 1633 (oil on copper) by Callot, Jacques (1592-1635); 34x24 cm; Palazzo Corsini, Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini, Rome

Night Pillaging Scene (oil on canvas)
899072 Night Pillaging Scene (oil on canvas) by Colonia, Adam (1634-85); Musee des Beaux-Arts, Rennes, France; (add.info.: PEINTURE COLONIA Adam (1634 - 1685) MUSEE DES BEAUX-ARTS RENNES IMAGE

Shipwreck on the Isle of Wight (colour litho)
2782285 Shipwreck on the Isle of Wight (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Shipwreck on the Isle of Wight)

Riots in Paris (colour litho)
2819081 Riots in Paris (colour litho) by Tofani, Oswaldo (1849-1915) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Riots in Paris. Looting of the Church of Saint-Joseph. Pillage de l eglise Saint-Joseph)

Wreckers off the Brittany Coast, 1911
BON64101 Wreckers off the Brittany Coast, 1911 by Maroniez, Georges Philibert Charles (1865-1933); 152x228 cm; Private Collection; Photo eBonhams, London, UK; French, out of copyright

German Landsknechts looting Rome, 1527 (engraving)
3647411 German Landsknechts looting Rome, 1527 (engraving) by Vogel, Hermann (1856-1918); Private Collection; (add.info.: German Landsknechts looting Rome, 1527)

Soldiers looting a peasant family, c. 1650 (oil on canvas)
ALM403400 Soldiers looting a peasant family, c.1650 (oil on canvas) by Lingelbach, Johannes (1622-74); 41.9x55.6 cm; Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Ohio

Anti-German riots in Britain after the sinking of the Lusitania, 1915 (b / w photo)
3626921 Anti-German riots in Britain after the sinking of the Lusitania, 1915 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Sea pirates, the looting of an Italian steam shipwrecked on the coast of Brittany (colour litho)
2815136 Sea pirates, the looting of an Italian steam shipwrecked on the coast of Brittany (colour litho) by Beltrame, Achille (1871-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sea pirates)

Looting of the palace of the Archbishop of Paris, 15 February 1831 (engraving)
972613 Looting of the palace of the Archbishop of Paris, 15 February 1831 (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Looting of the sacristy of the Church of St Philippe du Roule, Paris Commune, 1871 (engraving)
6001308 Looting of the sacristy of the Church of St Philippe du Roule, Paris Commune, 1871 (engraving) by European School

French soldiers robbing and plundering in the Palatinate, 1793 (colour litho)
3621021 French soldiers robbing and plundering in the Palatinate, 1793 (colour litho) by Rochling, Carl (1855-1920); Private Collection; (add.info)

Like savages (colour litho)
2795596 Like savages (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Like savages. The people of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight helping themselves to the cargo of wine)

The Riots in New York: Destruction of the Coloured Orphan Asylum (litho)
STC469307 The Riots in New York: Destruction of the Coloured Orphan Asylum (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Looters Three men horse pass dead body path leave
Looters, Three men with a horse pass a dead body on a path that they leave behind naked, packing the valuables. the corpse, criminals, Jan van den Hecke (I), Southern Netherlands, 1630 - 1684, paper

Source Size = 3789 x 5000
The Burning of Alexandria: British Marines Arresting Arab Looters at the Custom House Gate, Egypt

Destruction of the Property of Royalists, engraved by R. Wallis, c. 1860s (engraving)
XJF493408 Destruction of the Property of Royalists, engraved by R. Wallis, c.1860s (engraving) by Cattermole, George (1800-68) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

Wreckers - Coast of Northumberland, With a Steam Boat Assisting a Ship off Shore
XYC124398 Wreckers - Coast of Northumberland, With a Steam Boat Assisting a Ship off Shore, 1834 (oil on canvas) by Turner

Messina Earthquake -5
MESSINA, SICILY Hunting for looters amid the rubble

Belfast Looters 1922
Demonstrators loot a liquor store during street fighting in Belfast

Looters Destroyed
When Herods guards attempt to ransack the tomb of King David, flames burst out of his coffin and destroy two of them

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"Looters: A Historical Perspective on Chaos and Desperation" In times of unrest, the human condition can reveal its darkest side. From the Belfast riots in August 1920 to the plundering of a farmhouse during The Miseries of War in 1633, they have left their mark throughout history. These individuals, driven by desperation or fueled by anarchy, have shown that chaos knows no boundaries. The haunting engraving depicting the Plundering of the Judengasse in Frankfurt during the Fettmilch Rising of 1614 serves as a grim reminder that even within societies, prejudice can lead to acts of violence and pillaging against innocent communities. Similarly, when disaster struck Kingston, Jamaica with an earthquake captured in vivid color lithography, looting became a desperate means for survival amidst destruction. Moving across borders and time periods, we encounter scenes like The Rioting in London's West End from February 1886. Engravings from The Graphic and Pictorial News depict streets engulfed in turmoil as looters take advantage of civil unrest. It becomes evident that these actions are not limited to one place or era but rather reflect a universal response born out of societal fractures. Artistic representations also shed light on this dark facet of humanity. Night Pillaging Scene portrays shadows lurking under moonlight while Shipwreck on the Isle of Wight captures both tragedy and opportunism amid maritime disasters. Riots in Paris depicted through vibrant color lithographs further emphasize how social upheaval often breeds lawlessness. However, it is crucial to remember that not all who engage in such activities do so willingly; some may be driven by dire circumstances beyond their control. For instance, Wreckers off the Brittany Coast reveals those forced into illicit practices due to harsh living conditions or economic hardships. As we examine these historical instances through various mediums - oil paintings on copper canvases or engravings etched onto paper - we are confronted with the harsh realities of human behavior.