|
|
|
|
Some works of art such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s
Pieta, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica,are considered national treasures. Since these
artworks have high monetary values, they can fetch astronomical amounts in the
black market, making them the favorite targets of many thieves of art.
Sometimes, art theft is not motivated by financial gains, but personal or
political agendas.
On August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Musée du Louvre in
Paris. Although French poet Guillaume Apollinaire and world famous Spanish
painter Pablo Picasso were suspected to be involved, the real culprit turned out
to be Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian patriot who was employed by the Louvre. It
was a simple procedure. On that day, he went about his usual task, and hid in a
broom cabinet. He waited until the museum closed before he stole the Mona Lisa,
concealing the painting under his coat, and walking out without being detected.
Apparently, Peruggia felt strongly that the Mona Lisa should be exhibited in an
Italian museum since da Vinci was Italian. In 1913, Peruggia was arrested when
he tried to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. After a tour in
Italy, the Mona Lisa was sent back to the Louvre. Celebrated as an Italian hero,
Peruggia was only given a short jail sentence. On August 2, 2009, a Russian
woman was arrested for throwing a teacup at the Mona Lisa, but it only caused a
few scratches on the bulletproof encasement that protects the painting now.
One of the most wide-scale art plunder of recent memory is the Nazi plunder.
During World War II, the Nazis developed a system of looting where they would
target Old Master portraits and landscapes, especially favoring those with
Germanic origin. The top-rated artworks were supposed to be exhibited in
Hitler’s future unrealized Führermuseum and a good number also went to top
officials like Hermann Göring. Degenerate artworks would be traded to finance
the Nazi cause. Most of the Nazi looting occurred in the Soviet Union and Poland
where more than 1.6 million art objects were reportedly lost. After the defeat
of the Nazis, the Allies formed the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives
organization to recover the looted artworks and they succeeded in locating about
700,000 artworks, but the majority is yet to be found.
One of the most famous and biggest art heists happened at the Isabella
Steward Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts on March 18, 1990. Disguising
themselves as Boston police officers, the thieves made off with 13 paintings
(including five Degas drawings, three Rembrandts, a Vermeer, and a Manet),
presently valued at approximately $300 million. After they have gained entry
into the museum, the thieves tied up the guards in the basement, and went about
their business, smashing up the alarm when it went off. Less than 90 minutes
later, the thieves escaped. Up to this day, none of the thieves have been
arrested and none of the stolen pieces have been recovered.
Further Information
Popular Searches
|
|
|