Travis Simpkins: Dr. No (1962): James Bond, the Stolen "Duke of Wellington" and Art Crime Theory

James Bond, the "Duke of Wellington" and the Dr. No Theory

by Travis Simpkins

A famous scene in Dr. No (1962) shows James Bond passing through the villain's lair, and recognizing the stolen 1812 portrait of the "Duke of Wellington" by Franciso Goya. The painting had been stolen the year before the film was made, and producers thought it would be an interesting visual innuendo for the stolen masterpiece to make a cameo. That brief sighting of "The Duke of Wellington" had a deep impact on the way Art theft has been perceived from then on. It conjured up the concept of the crooked wealthy art collector, commissioning thefts of art for personal gratification, hiding away stolen masterpieces in a private underground room. It is known in the study of Art Crime as the "Dr. No Theory."

Although not based on the actual first book in the 007 series by Ian Fleming, Dr. No was the first "James Bond" film adaptation. Directed by Terence Young, Dr. No established many of the iconic elements now associated with a typical "James Bond" movie... from the famous cocktail, to the sexy ladies. Filmed on a relatively modest budget, the film was a huge financial success and inspired 22 additional Bond films, as well as countless imitation Spy movies and spoofs. The cast is excellent, including Sean Connery as the preeminent and iconic James Bond, Ursula Andress as the first "Bond girl" and Joseph Wiseman as Dr. No, the title character and first Bond villain.

When a fellow British agent is killed in Jamaica, ultra-suave 007 agent James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to investigate…