Stolen works of art

[LCR]

I translated the article, as indicated above, about stolen works of art, Julie de la Pateler published in yanvarskom rooms feature Internet-magazine "Even". As usual with journalists, art rather superficial, but entertaining. Read


Armed attack, demand ransom, the chase, agents infiltrated into the camp of enemies: the kidnappers of works of art have nothing to envy the famous mobsters, heroes of Hollywood films. But who is hiding behind these Arsène Lupine our time? We draw our investigation and try to create a model profile of the kidnapper of France as the only time that there have been two further robberies ...


First - the facts. At the end of December 2009 from Marseilles Museum Cantina has been without breaking stolen Degas pastel "Les Choristes". This work is Degas does not belong to the museum, she was transferred to the Paris Musée d'Orsay in time for the exhibition.
The same day, forty kilometers from Marseille was robbed villa. The thieves stole 30 works of art, including paintings by Picasso. Leave them only one picture Modigliani, damaging it, apparently in a hurry. Is it possible to conclude that in both cases, the act or the same robbers, or the same customer? The stolen paintings are too well known, that they can be sold on the legal art market. So who committed these crimes, gentlemen-thieves or merry madmen, organized gangs of criminals or the mafia real? It is often said that the thief, spetsializiruyuschiysyaya on stolen works of art - a connoisseur, a lover of beauty.

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The collective consciousness is their elegance estetetami - just like Sean Connery, who stole the painting by Rembrandt in the film - in a tuxedo and with the irresistible British accent. But in real life is not so glamorous: a profitable commerce, criminal connections and corruption. In countries where poverty is rife, or fighting, theft of works of art are flourishing, and frequent communication between the kidnappers and narco-art barons. We offer portraits robot robbers - who knows, maybe we will find among them, and criminals, like Sean Connery ...

Mercenaries single

The man who died Nov. 25, 1934, taking his secret to the grave, called just Arsene. Before his death, he confessed that he was only in the world knows where the stolen painting from polyptych "Mystical Lamb" by Jan van Eyck, but he died without having to specify its location. A few months before this picture is called "Just Judge" was stolen from the Ghent Cathedral, after which the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Ghent, Bishop of 1 million Belgian francs, but to no avail - the bishop refused to pay. After the death of Arsene Gederts painting was never found. Currently in its place placed a copy. In general, the abduction of works which can not be sold, are not uncommon. In such cases, the burglars almost always require a ransom - it's easier than trying to sell them on the legal market. Typically, the legitimate owners of the stolen works do not lend themselves to blackmail the robbers, but sometimes they pay the requested ransom, such as the Zurich gallery Vollag, paid in 1993, to regain the 6 stolen works by Picasso. In addition, there are often paid informants - Tate Brit admits that paid for information, which helped her to return two of Turner, stolen in Frankfkrte in 1994

Professional

The main driver of robbers is not love of art and money. In 1900-2000 gg. organized gangs looted mostly poorly guarded churches and private ownership (80%of thefts). The biggest success they polzovalsyaya Picasso: To date, 600 of the artist's still somewhere walk ... The criminal network ramified, brain and organizational centers of its ever-changing place. Until recently, they had to be found in Europe and the U.S., now they are in Hong Kong, Moscow and Dubai. This professionalization of this highly profitable criminal activity has led to the organization to combat it. Interpol launched an Internet site that provides information about the thefts with reproductions of stolen works. TSBKTS (Central Bureau of Struggle against organized crime trafficking in cultural property) has developed a program that could identify any of the 80,000 stolen items, which she keeps in memory. The penalties for theft of works of art have been tightened: now the offender risks to get three to seven years in prison and pay a heavy fine. This policy is bearing fruit - in the last ten years the number of thefts of works of art in France from 7857 down to 2223.

Armed gangs

When and how are the criminals? Some of them prefers to operate in the stillness of the night, especially in favorable circumstances - an open window, the lack of protection. Others act in broad daylight under the nose of the guard, as an unknown character who was abducted in the crowded tourist Louvre "Sevres road" Corot, even not cut it with the stretcher. He just lifted the protective glass, took a job and took it, probably hiding under his coat. But things do not always occur in such a peaceful manner. In September 2009, two men broke into one of the Brussels museums in arms and forced employees to lie on the floor. Then they took off from the wall Magritte painting "Olympia" and disappeared with her. In August 2007, five armed robbers in masks broke into the Museum of Fine Arts of Nice. In less than five minutes they were removed from the walls of two works by Bruegel, a Monet and a Sisley. In the investigation of the crime was attended by the FBI and its special section "Art Kraymeh" (crime-related works of art). Was a structure, which tracked down a criminal organization that committed this theft and the perpetrators were arrested. It happened like this: one FBI agent posed as a potential customer and offered a painting stolen in Nice, 3 million. Since neither got in touch Frenchman Bernard-Jean Ternyus that criminals instructed to sell the stolen works, and the FBI began proslushit his phone. Ten months in the center of Marseilles was arrested on a pickup truck, which lay in the trunk all the stolen work.

Quiet crazy

But not all the criminals operating out of greed. Another category of works of art thieves - freaks who steal to hang in your home charming Odalisque Courbet or subtly smiling Mona Lisa. Yes, yes, even the famous Mona Lisa was not spared this fate. In 1911 it was stolen from the Louvre, and found it only after two years at the apartment Vincenzo Perugia, an employee of the Louvre, which hid it from sebyaya home. Officially Stefan Braytvizer, modern zvazda stolen works of art, too, acted without any accomplices. He just wanted to make a collection. According to him, he was madly in love with art, to tears, art irresistibly attracted him, and he simply could not resist not to steal them. For six years he has arrogated to himself about a hundred works of art. He always acted in the opening hours of museums and never resorted to violence. In a modest house in the town of Mulhouse, where he lived with his mother, accumulating stolen masterpieces: Cranes on the bedside table beside the bed, Bush over the bed ... After his arrest, the frightened mother has destroyed a significant part of his "acquisitions" and that it is not destroyed, she threw into the Rhine. Sixty paintings and disappeared. However Braytvizera version of his magnanimity, romanticism and aestheticism into question: in his bank accounts were discovered huge sums that have no explanation. In addition, it was learned that the address of his former law partner and accomplice was handed over to the bandits from eastern Europe with the recommendation of "good press" on it to get back the jewels and money ... Braytvizer himself recently wrote a book in which he described his exploits - so no matter he is not sitting.

Image ingenious lover of art, committing "theft - a work of art" a la James Bond, unfortunately, overshadows the sad reality: in countries with low-life theft of works of art are particularly frequent. From mueev Kabul was stolen 70%of the exhibits. Of the museums of Baghdad disappeared 15000 items. The poorer the museums, they are worse than protected, the more easily diverted their collection. It also happens that a stolen work of art exchanged for drugs. One raskayavshiysyay hitman recently admitted that the "Christmas with St Francis and Lawrence" Caravaggio stolen in Palermo and was located in the hands of Goats Nostra, was destroyed.
How can we deal with the theft of works of art? Replace the original copies, as suggested by Umberto Eco, who believes that the paintings of great artists suffer from constant contact with the public? This idea is not original, a clever painter has used it in 2000, he made a copy with a single painting of Monet, which was in Poland, "Beach Purvilya", then simply substituted its original and quietly left the museum with the painting under his arm. Submenu notice was not immediately ...



P.S. I am interested in this story Braytvizerom, I missed it completely. That's what I found: he stole 239 works of art from museums in France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria. Stole works of art in order to gain a personal collection. He was particularly interested in the Flemish art of the XVI century.
The first robbery he carried out together with his accomplice, Anne-Catherine Klyaynklaus in 1996 during a visit to the castle Gruyères in Switzerland. The most valuable piece of his "collections" - "Portrait of Princess Sibylla of Cleves" Luke Cranach the Elder, estimated at 5 million pounds, which he stole from a small museum in Baden-Baden in 1995,
In the end, he was arrested in Lucerne in 2001, when he and his accomplice returned to the scene to erase his fingerprints left. Since the day of theft, he was the only visitor to the museum, the museum recognized him and called the police.
In Switzerland, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison, but in France - even to 2-m.
Among the 60 missing works including works:

• Pieter Bruegel the Elder
• Watteau
• Bush
• Corneille de Lyon

That's it

[AlexanderG]

A ia seichas iz NZ privioz dve zamechatel'nye liogkogo chteniia knigi:
1. Stealing the Scream by Edward Dolnick
2.Fakers, Forgers & Phoneys by Magnus Magnusson

Chitaetsia legko, kak detektiv.