Marcus Chen
In the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No, a painting of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco Goya is featured in a scene in which Bond is invited to dine with Dr. No. The painting had been stolen from London's National Gallery in 1961, just before filming began, and the filmmakers included it as an in-joke, suggesting that Dr. No had stolen it. The portrait was recovered in 1965, four years after its theft, when the thief, Kempton Bunton, contacted a newspaper and returned it via a train station's lost-and-found office.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Painting | Portrait of the Duke of Wellington |
| Artist | Francisco Goya |
| Year | 1812-14 |
| Subject | The Duke of Wellington |
| Owner at the time of theft | London's National Gallery |
| Date of Theft | 21 August 1961 |
| Date of Recovery | 1965 |
| Thief | Kempton Bunton |
| Movie | Dr. No |
| Year of Movie Release | 1962 |
| Actor Playing James Bond | Sean Connery |
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What You'll Learn
James Bond's reaction to the painting
In the 1962 film Dr. No, James Bond notices a painting in Dr. No's lair and stares at it closely. The painting is Francisco Goya's 'Portrait of the Duke of Wellington' (1812-14), a half-length portrait of the decorated British general in a trademark red coat. Bond does a dramatic double take before glancing at Dr. No, seemingly impressed.
The painting was stolen from the National Gallery in London in 1961, just before filming for Dr. No began. It had fetched around £140,000 at Sotheby's when a foundation and the British government joined forces to outbid an American collector, Charles Wrightsman, who was about to take possession of the painting. However, just 19 days later, a bus driver named Kempton Bunton stole the painting, keeping it for four years before contacting a newspaper and returning it at a train station's lost-and-found office.
The inclusion of the painting in Dr. No's lair was intended as a little in-joke, suggesting that Dr. No had stolen it. Bond's reaction to the painting, therefore, was one of surprise and admiration, perhaps even a sense of recognition, given that the painting was well-known and had been in the news. Bond's double take and sideways glance suggest a mixture of emotions, from curiosity to suspicion, as he processes the unexpected presence of the stolen artwork in the villain's lair.
The painting's appearance in the film added an extra layer of intrigue and subtlety to the story, providing a sly nod to a notorious art crime that many British viewers would have been aware of at the time. It also contributed to the characterisation of Dr. No, implying that he had a sophisticated taste in art and further emphasising his wealth and nefarious activities.
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The painting's theft in 1961
The Portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco Goya was stolen from London's National Gallery in August 1961, just 19 days after it went on display. The painting was acquired by the museum after a joint effort between a foundation and the British government to outbid a New York collector, Charles Wrightsman. The canvas, which fetched £140,000, was a celebrated work, and its disappearance gripped the nation.
At the time, it was assumed that a professional art thief or gang was responsible for the theft. However, this perception changed when the National Gallery began receiving anonymous, handwritten ransom notes. The notes stated that the painting would be returned on the condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly. Despite a reward of £5,000 being offered for the painting's safe return, its whereabouts remained unknown for four years.
In 1965, Kempton Bunton, an unemployed Newcastle bus driver, walked into a police station and confessed to the theft. Bunton's defence team argued that he never intended to keep the painting and was therefore not guilty of stealing it. He was sentenced to three months in prison for stealing the frame, which had not been returned. In 1996, documents released by the National Gallery implied that another person may have carried out the theft and passed the painting to Bunton. This suspicion was confirmed in 2012, when it was revealed that Bunton's son, John, had confessed to the theft in 1969 after being arrested for an unrelated minor offence. John maintained that his father had intended to use the painting as part of his campaign for exempting pensioners from television licence fees.
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The thief, Kempton Bunton
Kempton Bunton was a retired bus driver who confessed to stealing Francisco Goya's painting, the 'Portrait of the Duke of Wellington', from the National Gallery in London in 1961. The painting was purchased by an American art collector, Charles Bierer Wrightsman, for £140,000 ($390,000), and there were plans to take it to the United States. However, Bunton, a disabled man earning £8 a week, took the painting and kept it for four years before contacting a newspaper and returning it via a train station's lost-and-found office.
Bunton had a history of activism and campaigning for civil liberties. He had previously spent time in jail for refusing to pay for a TV licence, which he believed was too high for poorer people, especially pensioners. He stole the Goya painting as a protest against the BBC's TV licence fee being imposed on pensioners. Bunton claimed that he had learned from conversations with guards at the National Gallery that the security system was deactivated in the early morning for cleaning. He took advantage of this window of opportunity, prising the painting from its display and escaping through a window.
The theft of the painting gained widespread attention, and a letter was received by the Reuters news agency, demanding a donation of £140,000 to charity for television licences for the poor, in exchange for the painting's return. However, this request was declined. Bunton's actions and the disappearance of the painting entered popular culture, with a replica of the painting appearing in the 1962 James Bond film 'Dr. No', suggesting that the fictional character had stolen it.
The story of Bunton and the painting has been dramatised in various forms, including a 2015 BBC Radio 4 drama titled 'Kempton and the Duke' and the 2020 film 'The Duke', starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. The film portrays Bunton's working-class struggles and the impact of tragedy on his life and decision-making. While Bunton confessed to the theft, there are suggestions that his son, John, may have been involved, with Bunton taking the fall to protect his son.
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The painting's recovery in 1965
In 1965, four years after Francisco Goya's painting "The Duke of Wellington" was stolen from London's National Gallery, it was finally recovered. The painting was returned via a locker in Birmingham New Street Station's left luggage office. The recovery was in part thanks to a widespread campaign and reward offered by the Daily Mirror.
A few weeks after the painting was returned, Kempton Bunton, a retired truck driver and pensioner from Newcastle, turned himself in at a police station and confessed to the theft. Bunton had kept the painting in his council house for four years before returning it. He was tried at the Old Bailey and convicted of stealing the painting's frame, which was not returned to the National Gallery. Bunton spent three months in prison and died a decade later, in 1976.
The theft and recovery of "The Duke of Wellington" painting had a significant impact on art theft laws in the UK. The case led to an important clause being inserted into the Theft Act of 1968, making it illegal to "remove without authority any object displayed or kept for display to the public in a building to which the public have access".
The painting's recovery also had an interesting connection to the James Bond film "Dr. No," released in 1962. In the film, Bond notices a painting in the villain's lair and does a double take, recognising it as "The Duke of Wellington" portrait. At the time of the film's release, the painting had been stolen in real life, and its inclusion in the film suggested that the fictitious character Dr. No had stolen it. The recovery of the painting in 1965 thus added an intriguing layer to the film's portrayal of art theft.
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The painting's significance in the film
The painting in Dr No, Francisco Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington, was included by the filmmakers as a joke, suggesting that Dr No had stolen it. The painting had been stolen from London's National Gallery in 1961, just before filming began, and was still missing at the time of filming. This meant that the fictitious character appeared to be behind the theft of a real-world painting.
In the film, Bond notices the painting in Dr No's lair and stares at it closely. Sean Connery, playing Bond, does a dramatic double take before glancing at Dr No, seemingly impressed. This scene was originally going to feature a recently stolen Picasso. However, the script supervisor, Johanna Harwood, suggested the Goya painting, which was a celebrated work that many British viewers would have recognised.
The inclusion of the painting in the film brought a level of notoriety to the artwork's theft. In the film, Dr No is impressed by the painting, suggesting he has good taste. Production designer Ken Adam said: "I didn't see any reason why Dr No shouldn't have good taste. We thought it would be fun for him to have some stolen art."
The painting was returned in 1965, four years after it was stolen, when Kempton Bunton contacted a newspaper and returned it via a train station's lost-and-found office. Bunton was convicted only of stealing the frame, as his defence team argued that he never intended to keep the painting itself. Kempton Bunton's story was later turned into a film, The Duke, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren.
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Frequently asked questions
The painting is Francisco Goya's 'Portrait of the Duke of Wellington'.
The painting had been stolen from London's National Gallery in 1961, just before filming began. The filmmakers included it as an in-joke, suggesting that Dr. No had stolen it.
Kempton Bunton, a bus driver, stole the painting and kept it for four years before returning it to a train station's lost-and-found office.
Bunton was convicted only of stealing the frame, as his defence team successfully argued that he never intended to keep the painting. He served three months in prison.
No, the filmmakers obtained a slide of the picture from the National Gallery and painted a copy before filming.
