antiquities, artifacts and art objects – the main target for various illegal, immoral and illicit...
TRANSCRIPT
Antiquities, artifacts and art objects – the main target for various illegal, immoral and
illicit activitiesDr. Maria Păuceanu
E-mail: [email protected]
Causes for stealing AAA
• - obtaining finances for operations, illegal transactions (commerce with drugs, guns, terrorism, etc)
• - snobbery and various collectionars unscrupulous• - high price of these objects on black market• - the use of these for money laundry purpose, to
obtain not deserved benefits ( to receive rewards, ransom, etc)
• - to obtain financial resources tax- free and quickly to satisfy some luxurious caprices
• - other causes of ideological, economic, social or personal nature
TOP 10 – THE LIST OF THE MOST FAMOUS ART
OBJECTS STOLEN AND NOT RECOVERED UNTILL
NOW
1. Rembrandt, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee
In march 1990, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum from Boston was robbered by two unknown men. The thefts took away works of art with 300 millions dollars value.
Among these works of art: Vermeer, The Concert, Rembrandt, A Lady and
Gentleman in Black; Rembrandt, The Storm on the
Sea of Galilee; Rembrandt, Self-Portrait;Govaert Flinck, Landscape with
Obelisk; Monet, Chez Tortoni.
2. Caravaggio, Nativity with San Lorenzo and San Francesco.
In October 1969, two thefts robbered San Lorenzo Oratory Museum from Palermo, Italy and took away the painting from its frame. The estimated value of this work of art is $ 20 million.
3. Van Gogh, View of the Sea at Scheveningen
In December 2002, two thefts entered through the roof in Vincent van Gogh Museum from Amsterdam.
In few minutes, those two thefts took away two paintings: Van Gogh - View of the Sea at Scheveningen and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen, evaluated $ 30 million.
The police succeeded in arresting two men who were arrested and condemned for this theft, but the paintings were not recovered until now.
4. Cezanne, View of Auvers-sur-Oise
In December 31st, 1999, during the fireworks which were announcing the new millennium, one unknown man entered in Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England, and took away the landscape painted by Cezanne, View of Auvers-sur-Oise.
The painting was evaluated at 3 million pounds, and it is a very important work of art, showing the transition towards Cezanne’s mature painting.
5. The robbery from CHACARA DO CEU MUSEUM , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Salvador Dali, 1929, Two Balconies
Measures: 23.5 cm x 34.5 cm
Inventory No. MCC 430
The robbery from CHACARA DO CEU Museum, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Henri Matisse, 1905, Luxembourg Garden Measures: 40.5 cm x 32 cm
Inventory No. MCC 425
The robbery from CHACARA DO CEU MUSEUM, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Pablo Picasso, 1956, Dance
Measures: 100 cm x 81 cm
Inventory No. MCC 406
The robbery from CHACARA DO CEU MUSEUM , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Claude Monet, 1880-1890, Marine
Measures: 65 cm x 91 cm
Inventory No. MCC 424
The robbery from CHACARA DO CEU MUSEUM, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In February 24th, 2006, around 4:00 PM, four works of art were took away among other objects from Chacara do Ceu Museum, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by four armed men. The value of stolen objects couldn’t be yet estimated.
6. Davidoff-Morini Stradivarius
In October 1995, the thefts of Stradivarius violin was reported in New York, value $ 3 millions, from Erica Morini’s apartment, a famous violinist. The violin was made in 1727 by Antonio Stradivari, nowadays being known as Davidoff – Morini Stradivarius.
Davidoff-Morini Stradivarius
7. GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY MURALS
GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY MURALS
In July 2002, two oil paintings created by Maxfield Parrish were stolen during a theft from a West Hollywood Gallery, California. The paintings are two panels from a series created for NY 5th Avenue home belonging to Mme. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The paintings were cut off from their frame during the theft.
The value of these two paintings is estimated $ 4 millions.
8. THE ROBBERY FROM E.G. Biihrle Collection, Zurich, Switzerland.
Four work of art were stolen during an armed robbery in February 10th, 2008 from E.G. Biihrle Collection, Zurich. Two works of art were recovered, but two are still missing and are described in the following slides.
Paul Cezanne, Boy in the Red Vest
Paul Cezanne, Boy in the Red Vest,
Description: 1894/95, oil on canvas, 80 cm x 64.5 cm
Edgar Degas, Count Lepic and His
Daughters
Edgar Degas, Count Lepic and His Daughters,
Description: c. 1871, oil on canvas, 65.5 cm x 81 cm
9. Van Mieris, A Cavalier
In June 10th, 2007, “A Cavalier”, a self-portrait in oil on wood, work of art created by Earl Master Frans Van Mieris, was stolen from Art Gallery in New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
The work of art was stolen while the gallery was open for public.
The portrait measures 20 cm x 16 cm, and its value is estimated to over a million dollars.
.
10. Iraqi artifacts token away from archaeological chanters and museums
In July 25th, 2006, ICE announced the recovery of King Entemena from Lagash statue, one of the most important artifacts stolen from Iraqi National Museum in 2003. It was returned to the Iraqi government during a ceremony held at Washington.
THOUGHTS UPON THIS ISSUE
Several countries, especially emergent ones, are the target of works of art, religious artifacts and antiquities systematic robbery, at large scale (Iraq, Egypt, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Romania, etc). The authorities are or incapable to deal with this systematic robberies of cultural history and memory of the nation or not interested to solve this phenomena, from various reasons.
