Criminal escapes having stolen a painting (8)
I believe the answer is:
seascape
'painting' is the definition.
(I know that seascape is a type of painting)
'criminal escapes having stolen a' is the wordplay.
'criminal' indicates anagramming the letters.
'having stolen' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'escapes' with letters rearranged gives 'seascpe'.
'seascpe' placed around 'a' is 'SEASCAPE'.
(Other definitions for seascape that I've seen before include "Maritime picture" , "work of art" , "Coastal or ocean view" , "Marine view/picture" , "view of the Med perhaps" .)