Are you interested in the art world, and curious to know more about the dark side of it? At times, artworks which are highly priced and have been marveled by the world, have also been susceptible to elaborate schemes of theft. These are shocking, but exciting all the same, and are interesting, albeit dangerous anecdotes of drama in the world of crime and art! Many times, they have even inspired television shows and books. However, they are very much real-life incidents! Divulge into this world. Here are some anecdotes!
The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci, at the Louvre Museum today is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Did you know, that at one point, it was stolen? In 1911, on a Monday( a day the museum was conveniently closed) a handyman who worked at the Louvre, by the name, of Vincenzo Peruggia, hid at the museum overnight, picked up the painting, put it in his overcoat and walked right out! The incident caused much havoc and was retrieved three years later when Peruggia tried to sell it to an art dealer. Fortunately, it was returned to the Louvre. Today, with the advancement of security, fortunately, the Mona Lisa is displayed behind an alarm-activated, bulletproof glass!
In Dresden, Germany, one of the most ostentatious and extravagant museums, which hold the jewels of the Saxon monarchs on display is the Green Vault Museum. With the kind of jewels and riches, it has on display, it became a sight for theft! A heist was organized in 2019, where the thieves targeted the historic jewel room and broke into a display case, appropriating several priceless items, including jewellery, artefacts made of diamonds and other precious stones. The incident caused an uproar, and a huge investigation was carried out. Most of the items were recovered in 2022, and the thieves were implicated!
Recently, it has been reported, that a large number of objects, nearly 2000 in the British Museum, including gold, jewellery, semi-precious stones, and glass have gone missing, have been stolen and destroyed! There is in recent times, a new webpage set up by the British Museum to recognize stolen items, as an attempt to perhaps retrieve them. Interviews with spokespeople of the British Museum have revealed that they are convinced that it is an insider’s job, by someone who had ample access and knowledge about the security system at work. Currently, attempts are being made to strengthen security and retrieve the objects. The problem, however, is that this process of objects going missing has been on for quite a few years, and the records and catalogues however have been overwritten, showing those objects as present rather than missing. Moreover, some objects, owing to the sheer amount have not been catalogued in the past, making this situation trickier!
In 2010, a thief entered the Paris Museum of Modern Art overnight and stole 5 paintings, including works by Picasso and Braque. The works were valued at over 100 million Euros! Though the thief was caught, these precious paintings remained lost, their fate unknown!So which is the craziest story about art theft that you have heard?
