Friday

100 Million Euro Art Heist

Alastair Sooke writes in The Telegraph that "the thief who raided the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris earlier this week, making off with five stunning art works of the early 20th century, including a Picasso and a Matisse did not use the intricate gadgets, or a sophisticated plan involving a phalanx of accomplices. Instead, he opted for audacity: in the middle of Wednesday night, wearing black clothes and a mask, he pulverised a padlock and broke a window before stealing the canvases, valued by the museum at 100 million euros (£86 million). A bloke, in a mask, breaking a padlock, and making off with the loot: it just seems too far-fetched. But the truth is that a spectacular art heist always thrills the public imagination – from the Mona Lisa disappearing from the Louvre in 1911 to the theft of The Scream from the Munch Museum in Oslo in 2004. In part, this is because people secretly respect the chutzpah and daredevilry required to successfully make off with a work of art from a museum. But our fascination with these cases also stems from the underlying question of what happens to the paintings once they have been stolen. Significantly, the paintings in Paris were taken from different rooms – suggesting that they were stolen to order, rather than falling victim to a smash-and-grab. It is tempting to imagine that, somewhere in the world, perhaps in the wilder reaches of Russia, or in a fortified yacht moored off a little-known Caribbean island, there is an art-loving Mr Big, at whose request this raid took place. It is easy to picture a Blofeld-like villain, sitting alone, and stroking a fluffy white cat, while gazing lovingly at Modigliani's Woman with a Fan. Because, of course, none of these paintings could ever be sold. Indeed, they are so recognisable that they could barely be shown to anyone. Many rich people buy art so that they can show it off to others. But the putative master criminal behind this heist would be forced to enjoy his paintings by himself. To do this, he would have to be the ultimate connoisseur, with exquisitely evolved aesthetic sensibilities". For full source and full article click the Headline. Irish Art