Remuneration 5 million dollars for information about the theft of paintings

[Евгений]

Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. has decided to intensify the search for 13 paintings stolen from the Isabella Gardner Museum Boston 20 years ago, the Associated Press.Prokuratura reported that it was prepared to offer immunity from prosecution to people who help out on the trail of stolen works of art.
The museum itself has announced that pay an indemnity of $ 5 million for information that will help in finding stolen paintings. Billboards with the promise of rewards installed along the highway.

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If the data provided will help to find only part of the masterpieces of the informant will receive rewards in proportion to the stated market value of the exhibits, which can be found.
Stealing from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has been made March 18, 1990. At 1:24 the night, two attackers, dressed in police uniform, was asked to let their guard in the room for an urgent call. Once the door against the rules of the museum were opened, the criminals disarmed the guards. For 81 minutes spent in the walls of the building, they managed to cut from their frames and make the three rooms of Rembrandt, Jan Vermeer, Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet.
On the FBI, on the theft of the Boston museum, the value of stolen is estimated at 300 million dollars. The agency leads AP another assessment - half a billion dollars.
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Description of cases of theft at the FBI
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft/n...a/isabella.htm

The stolen paintings:
1. VERMEER, THE CONCERT; Oil on canvas, 72.5 x 64.7 cm
2. REMBRANDT. Oil on canvas, 161.7 x 129.8.
3. REMBRANDT, SELF PORTRAIT.
4. REMBRANDT Oil on canvas, 131.6 x 109 cm.
5. MANET, CHEZ TORTONI; Oil on canvas, 26 x 34 cm.
6.GOVAERT FLINCK, LANDSCAPE WITH AN OBELISK, Oil on an oak panel, 54.5 x 71 cm.
7. DEGAS, THREE MOUNTED JOCKEYS 30,5 x24 cm
8. DEGAS, PROGRAM FOR AN ARTISTIC SOIREE; Charcoal on white paper, 24.1 x 30.9 cm.
9. DEGAS, PROGRAM FOR AN ARTISTIC SOIREE 23,4 х30 see
10. DEGAS, LA SORTIE DU PELAGE, pencil and water color on paper, 10 x 16 cm.

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The stolen items (continued)

11. DEGAS, CORTEGE AUX ENVIRONS DE FLORENCE, pencil and wash on paper, 16 x 21 cm.
12. CHINESE BRONZE BEAKER OR. KU. Chinese, SHANG DYNASTY, 1200-1100 BC;

[Евгений]

The stolen items (continued)

11. DEGAS, CORTEGE AUX ENVIRONS DE FLORENCE, pencil and wash on paper, 16 x 21 cm.
12. CHINESE BRONZE BEAKER OR. KU. Chinese, SHANG DYNASTY, 1200-1100 BC;

[ФАИв]

I was there 2 years ago, perhaps this is the most powerful artistic impression last time. The museum is located in Boston. On the surface - not a lot of strange building, inside the Venetian palace of 15 century. Wonderful courtyard. Deep taste and an incredible number of masterpieces of world level, even without the stolen paintings. One self-portrait of the young Rembrandt is worth something!

Here are a few from the site of the museum, translated as able

Carefully selected collection of Isabella Stewart Gardner has more than 2,500 objects - paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, paintings, silver, ceramics, manuscripts, rare books, photographs and letters - from ancient Rome, medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, the Islamic world and the 19 th century France and America.


Creation Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner has gained much of his collection in a very short period of time. Like many other wealthy Americans, Gardner bought the paintings and objects to decorate the house .. In 1880, Ms. Gardner attended lectures on the history of art and works of Dante, under the leadership of Charles Eliot Norton of Harvard University. This has a passion for Dante and Isabella Stewart Gardner began to buy rare editions of the writer. She became a serious collector of Dutch and Italian painting in the 1890-ies. Since 1894, Bernard Berenson, a young art historian, began to recommend the Italian paintings for purchase. He was a novice as well as Mrs. Gardner, but within two years he directed the purchases for the collection, which includes "Lucretia" by Botticelli, "Europe" Titian's "Concert" Vermeer and Rembrandt self-portrait. Berenson acted as agent for Colnaghi - dealer from London, who offered the painting for sale, however, Isabella Stewart Gardner took her own decisions about what to buy. In 1896, Berenson Europa facilitate the acquisition of Titian, which is still heralded as "the most important work of art in Boston. (Boston Globe, July 27, 2002).


Short! You will be in Boston - do not miss!

[ФАИв]

And that's pretty detailed article about the theft from "Around the World" 2000

Art Theft
Through cinema, many believe the thieves "from the art" by some romantic heroes. It is hard to resist the charm of Peter O'Toole, Sean Conneh ri, Pierce Brosnan and other "stars" who played intelligent kidnappers masterpieces. Reality is far cruder Hollywood dreams. Stealing tions to the product - it's not an adventure for the love of art, and above all profitable business.
"Black" redistribution

On New Year's Eve 2000, in the second half, through the light the lantern on the roof of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford in the room with pictures of the Impressionists was thrown smoke pot. Under cover of a smokescreen, render useless the cameras, a man in a gas mask went on a rope down. While calling the fire protection and tried to understand what was happening, the thief grabbed a landscape by Cezanne worth 4.7 million dollars and just through the roof, disappeared with their loot in a festive night. This was done first, but, unfortunately, is not the last museum robbery of the coming century.

Museum theft - the ancient crafts. However, it reached its peak in the second half of the twentieth century, the beginning of "museum boom", and the rich American and Japanese collectors have inflated prices. In 1950, Impressionist paintings does not hold up to 10 thousand dollars, and Picasso was worth little more than five, then only ten years later went through hundreds of thousands of dollars. By the early seventies, was overcome million mark, and now no one is surprised the price of one hundred and four million to an unknown collector paid at auction Sotheby's for "Boy with a Pipe" by Picasso in 2004.

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The art market has become international and has reached vast dimensions: each year only through the auction houses held more than 700 000 items. But there is still a huge network of antique shops, an army art dealer, working with a select clientele, finally, the art of trading via the Internet. But as soon as the product enters the museum, it "knocked out", as in most countries ban the sale or exchange of museum collections. There is a paradoxical situation - demand is growing, and the supply drops. It was then that the "black" and the redistribution comes to the aid of "art theft".
Motley portraits

Annual losses from the robbers, who are museums and private collections, estimated at seven billion dollars. In the orbit of this huge business involving "serious" people: the mafia, terrorists, art dealer, dealers, lawyers, artdetektivy, museum workers, employees of insurance companies, etc.

Of course, as in any big business, no cost and without eccentric fringe. French waiter Breytvizer love of thrills stealing from small museums in Europe 240 paintings and sculptures. In 2001, his old mother, having learned from the newspapers that his son was caught during one of the "exploits" with fright got rid of the "home of the museum. Pictures she had cut and brought to the dump, and sculpture thrown into a river. But the waiter-kleptomaniac and his mother-vandal - tragicomic exception to the rule.

The collective image of the thief-performer who, in fact, commit theft, draw hard. Well, what is common among American professor and art historian who had kidnapped manuscripts with notes from Petrarch Vatican Library, with former officers of the GDR who, armed with Kalashnikov rifles, looted museums in Bosnia and Croatia? Or Benedictine monks who had stolen 26 engravings by Durer from their monastery, with "strong man" (as they dubbed the police), who break out in churches in three-meter altars and turned out to be a gang of German nurses? Perhaps only one thing - not limited by any moral greed. No wonder one of the most famous artdetektivov world, Charles Hill, said of his "clients": "It's not romantic heroes and sons of bitches."

Ways theft
1985. In broad daylight, some armed robbers broke into the Museum Marmottan in Paris and kidnapped 9 works. Among them - the legendary painting of Claude Monet's "Impression. Sunrise, which gave its name to the whole direction of impressionism. It was found only in Corsica in 1990.
1989. Siren at the Castle Museum of Charlottenburg in Berlin. While the protection of consternation was looking at a blank wall where pictures had hung just a classic of German Romanticism Carl Spitzweg "Poor Poet" and "Love Letter", the halls to the exit rolled in his wheelchair, "poor cripple". Under the rug he had hidden the two paintings worth $ 2 million pictures and "disabled" police are looking so far.
1994. In the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Norway from the National Gallery in Oslo was stolen one of the major works of Expressionism - "Scream" by Edvard Munch. A total of 50 seconds, two criminals climbed the stairs, smashed windows, tore down the painting cost $ 75 million and disappeared. Several months later, agents of Scotland Yard posing as buyers arrested the robbers. One of the perpetrators was a former professional football player. The case in Oslo was the loudest statement by the representative of summer sport at the Winter Olympics.
1997. The thief made his way to the roof of the gallery in Piacenza, pushed the lantern light and hook "fished" "Portrait of a Woman" by Gustav Klimt $ 3 million in 1999. With the Saudi millionaire's yacht, moored in the French port of Antibes, disappeared Picasso Portrait of Dora Maar. " Until now, the police can not help wondering how the thief got noticed on a yacht. There is a version that he used the aqualung.
2002. In the Paraguayan capital Asuncion, the criminals shot shop opposite the National Museum of Fine Arts and two months digging a tunnel length of 25 meters at a depth of 3 meters. It was fortified with logs and lit by electric light bulbs. They entered the museum and stole 5 paintings, including works by Courbet and Tintoretto.
2003. Two criminals disguised as ordinary tourists entered the residence of the Duke Buccleugh in Scotland. While one held the superintendent, the second shot over the wall painting "Madonna of the spindle, which is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Then the roar of the sirens, they ran to the door, saying the counter visitors that they are police officers and allegedly attending training, and learning anxiety. The insurance company paid the owners of 3 million pounds. The painting is still being sought.
2003. At 4 am the offender climbed on construction Forests on the second floor of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, breaking glass, entered the exposition and stole "Salieru" of Benvenuto Cellini. This salt of King Francis I of solid gold with enamel height of 26 centimeters is considered the most expensive piece of dekorativnoprikladnogo art in the world and is estimated at $ 60 million
2004. Three armed robbers in broad daylight broke into the Munch Museum in Oslo and stole another version of the painting "Scream" worth $ 45 million and the painting "Madonna" worth $ 25 million.
The main problem Crafts

Paintings and sculptures stolen not to admire them or sensation, but to sell them. The main challenge of such a craft can be expressed in words attributed to Mark Twain: "to steal a white elephant - not a trick where he later put it?" In general, as in the formal economy, the major headache - sales.

Generally accepted fact that very happy thieves: museums protected worse than banks, and the values there are much greater. The Louvre will always be protected worse than Fort Knox. Works of art are expensive and take up little space - it is excellent quality for any product. But they are unique and too well known - is a huge drawback for stolen goods. Famous painting from the museum does not repaint as a stolen Mercedes, do not cut into pieces, as a unique diamond, not change for the market as a stolen banknote.

The easiest way out - to steal the art of less expensive and known to compensate for the quality of quantity. Ninety percent of all stolen belongs to this category. Massive theft requires a high degree of organization. Small gangs, recruited from every rabble-professionals "coordinators", "broad nonsense" combing the whole country. Their victims are primarily churches and small provincial museums. Considerable values are often protected only by dilapidated door with an old castle, inventory items or non-existent, or compiled in such a way that it did not identify, catalog no.

Stolen items received for trans-shipment points, assorted "experts" and then smuggled into one of the centers of antique trade. Most often - in London or Geneva. Here antique dealers rarely ask questions about where tradable commodities valued at two or three thousand dollars. And for the more sensitive there so-called "Italian method", developed by Fascist groups in the peninsula. The money from the drug trade, they bought a few "clean" pictures, add them stolen and sold such "mixed party".

In early 1980, while still a student, an art critic, I worked in one of the groups of the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR, which dealt with the inventory of churches. Unfortunately, we mainly take into account balances. Almost all the temples, several times plundered, and nobody even really knew what was stolen - had no photos, no smart lists. The scale of plunder was so great that even the flash filled with new professional terms. At the hair dryer icon called "wood", Our Lady - "Ma" and icons of the Moscow school - "Muscovite". The government caught on and launched a program Accounting artistic values. Among the thieves, and her art, without saying a word, called Aliyev, as responsible for it Politburo member Heydar Aliyev. But it was too late - not a masterpiece, but quite sturdy Russian icons XVII-XVIII centuries filled the antique shops of the West.

"Iron Curtain" only makes it easier for thieves. Even if it was known that stolen, the Soviet authorities were not informed about it to Interpol and the West in general, "not to lose face." And because it was not a museum masterpieces, but only on the "cult objects"! But the collapse of the socialist system, too, the situation did not improve. Confusion - a paradise for looters. Eastern and Central Europe in the 90's saw them Klondike.

For example, 6 500 richest churches and monasteries in the Czech Republic were present terror. The bandits did not stop at nothing to get hold of Baroque statues, paintings and precious jewel. Three priests were killed and many seriously injured. The Czech Republic has lost more than ten percent of their national heritage. In the database Prague police are still listed 10 000 stolen.

Worse case in war-torn Yugoslavia. Only in Croatia were looted 250 churches. From the museum has lost some 200 000 pieces, killing and most of the records. One of the most important collections in the country, The State museum in Vukovar, has lost 35 000 pieces. In general, war is immediately used the industry "art robbery". Last example - Iraq. As we know, the first defeat of the Americans they have caused are not supporters of Saddam Hussein and Islamic fundamentalists, and the gang museum thieves. Ransacked museums in Baghdad and Babylon were the first evidence that the U.S. does not control the situation in the country.
Unhappy place
Estate Russborough House by Dublin in Ireland. His master baronet Sir Alfred Beit, one of the owners of the diamond company De Beers, has one of the world's best private collections of paintings by old masters.
The first theft - in April 1974. An armed gang of Irish Republican Army of the five people broke into the house Beita. Banda led Bridget Rose Dugdale - the daughter of the director of the insurance company "Lloyd" and a family friend Bet. Raiders tied couple Bet and all the servants, and then placed in a truck 19 paintings, including the most valuable - "Lady with the maid, writing a letter" Vermeer. A few months Dugdale took along with pictures in an abandoned cottage. When arrested, she had put up armed resistance, and has received nine years in prison. After the prison changed its name and now works as a teacher.
The second theft - May 1986. At two o'clock the alarm went off. The guard called the police, the building is spared from all sides, but did not notice. Only the next morning found their lost item 18 paintings: including another Vermeer, Goya, Rubens and Gainsborough two. Robbery gang made Martin Cahill, nicknamed the General. Criminals specifically trigger alarms. Then look at how the police are scouring the building and climbed into the house in a short period of time between the end of the search and the inclusion of a new alarm. 7 paintings Police soon found, along with abandoned cars, the other 11 went into the "looking glass" of the criminal world and have been found many years later.
The third theft - June 2001. At 12.40 am jeep rammed the front door in Russborough. Three robbers wearing black masks stormed into the house. There they stole a picture Bellotto and the third time, "Portrait of Madame Bachelli" Gainsborough. The whole operation took three minutes. Pictures a year later found in Dublin.
The fourth theft - September 2002. At 5 am the siren. Offenders smashed a window to the rear facade of the house. Stolen 5 paintings, including Rubens' Dominican monk. The plan worked through the incredible speed: several times changing machines, criminals broke away from the police came to the rescue. Three months later, detectives seized all the pictures from dealers in Dublin. GCAP Generala robbery Russborough became something of a rite of initiation for each of the new leader of the Irish Mafia. Family Beit decided not to tempt fate, and gave most of the paintings to the National Museum in Dublin.
Fake Biography

Adjacent to the mass theft of works of the so-called "second line". These things though registered in the catalogs, but not world-famous: small paintings and sculptures, sketches and drawings. Very often it comes to archaeological finds. Everyone who has ever been, for example, in the Cairo Museum, and went down to the "tourist trail", and looked into the side rooms, the question inevitably arises: "How all this can understand?" Thousands of identical figures of warriors and servants, hundreds of similar to one other as two drops of water reliefs, many household items fill the entire space of the museum.

For science, this abundant material, hardly described in the narrow professional articles, and for the antique market - the desired product. If you steal the mask of Tutankhamen and Nefertiti bust, then this will be tomorrow to know the whole world, and the disappearance of one of the marching soldiers, but not from exposure Metropolitan Museum, a reservist from the provincial can go unnoticed for decades. Add to that the items were stolen directly from the excavations, and we are dealing with a huge turnover of stolen goods.

However, the Egyptian statuette not sell a "lack of personal responsibility" as an icon or a lamp XIX century. She needs a "provenance" (from the French. Provenance - «origin"), you have a history of existence, because of Egypt's laws for more than a hundred years, the export of any antiquities out of the country is prohibited. So she invented a fake biography of a spy-illegals. And doing it not just petty criminals, but also serious art dealer. In 2000, three years was convicted head of the Association of the U.S. art dealer Frederick Schultz. It knows all the ins and outs professional developed the "legend" for smuggled out of Egypt, reliefs and statues, and then sold them through his gallery. According to one of them, a whole collection of antiquities allegedly belonged to the family a hundred years of colonial administration official in Egypt. The official and his relatives were present, but the story of the collection - a fake.
Classics of the genre

But no matter how efficient methods of mass thefts and thefts of things "second line", a classic craft are pieces stolen world-famous masterpieces. Since the abduction of "Mona Lisa" the general public judges the thieves from the art it is for them. Convicted of theft, the Italian carpenter Vincenzo Perugia is famous throughout the world. However, with the "business" point of view it looks like a complete ignoramus. Perugia fell for the marketing, because he could not solve the problem of "white elephant". He suggested that "Mona Lisa" respectable antiquary in Florence, tempting him a chance to restore the masterpiece of Leonardo from France to Italy. Antiques, although he was a patriot, but not to such an extent that a fence, so he surrendered to police the thief, along with the picture.

There is, however, the version that Perugia was just a pawn in a clever combination, which invented the Argentine fraudster Valferno. He allegedly ordered the excellent poddelschiku six copies of the "Mona Lisa", and then hired to steal the original Perugia. After the newspaper smashed the world sensational news of the abduction, Valferno sold counterfeit American private collectors, who dreamed of a pearl Louvre. By issuing false "La Gioconda" for the present, to steal the original trickster-Argentine did not even touch in order to avoid trouble with the law. When ownerless zany Perugia began to act at their own risk and got caught, snookered collectors realized that they cheated, but understandably silent. Valferno disappeared with millions and just before his death, already in the 30 years, spoke about the height of his career thieves British journalist.
Is there a doctor but?

This story is beautiful, but hardly true. It is based on one of the most common myths about thefts of works of art - the myth of the collector-maniac, hungry to get the museum masterpieces in his secret collection, which he alone enjoys their beauty. On behalf of the villain of the story "Father" James Bond, Ian Fleming was a collector in the press nickname "Dr. No". In the eponymous film, when 007 gets in the underwater palace doctor, but he sees it stolen paintings. In the unanimous opinion of specialists, "Dr. No", which immediately credited with a regular museum theft - the fruit of the inflamed imagination of journalists. Anyway, nobody has ever seen any of the secret collection of stolen paintings and sculptures. The millionaire, who would have dared to cooperate with criminals, would be an easy victim of blackmail. Sooner or later, the stolen thing is not in the exotic home of Dr. But, as in some quite prosaic place, like the antique store, where, according to statistics, "float" 80%of all the museum's loss.

In 1983, however, it seemed that "Dr. No" exists. A gang of Hungarians and Italians stole the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. It was stolen seven paintings, among which was a masterpiece of Raphael's "Madonna Esterhazy. At the crime scene the robbers left a screwdriver made in Italy. Through its informants 3rd Main Directorate Ministry of Internal Affairs of Hungary came to the thieves compatriots who have helped to "stray" the Italian Mafia to rob a museum. Italian Carabinieri arrested "their" part of the gang. Its leader, a certain Giacomo Morini, said that the customer of the crime was a Greek manufacturer, producing olive oil, Evfimos Moskohlaidis. That, of course, argued that it is specified. However, when pressed on the Greek police, arranged in a large suitcase paintings were planted in the garden of the monastery Egion under Athens. Most likely, Moskohlaidis went on a secret deal with the authorities and thus an original way back stolen goods in exchange for ending the investigation. Press quickly found out that the role of "Dr. No" 55-year-old unbooked "Olive King" does not pull. Robbery, he seems to have ordered to throw dust into the eyes of creditors, naively hoping that the events in Hungary in Greece do not know.
Key figure artneppinga

The most effective method to get money for the stolen masterpiece - not to sell his mythical "Dr. No" and the rightful owner. The threat of losing all the unique paintings or sculptures made pliable collectors and museum directors, who agree to purchase. By analogy with the kidnapping newspaper people call these crimes "artneppingom. Very interested in the rapid return of stolen works and insurance companies, which have huge losses when paying multimillion-dollar insurance.

While most countries in negotiations with the thieves and the payment of ransom is prohibited, many do it secretly. In addition, there are many tricks to give a deal with criminals for a legal search of masterpieces. For example, an insurance company declares triumphantly finding her stolen things detectives and modestly adds that "criminals, unfortunately, could not be found". Artnepping requires nerves of steel from all parties involved. Direct the parties agree extremely rare. A key figure in such matters - the intermediary who has great diplomatic skills. As a rule, a lawyer, a trusted and criminals, and the owners of stolen goods. Sometimes in this role serves the well-known private artdetektiv well-connected and in the museum, and in the criminal environment.

Typically, cases of successful artneppinga remain a mystery. The unique exception - the case of the Schirn Kunsthalle robbery in Frankfurt am Main. In 1994, the exhibition Goethe and Art "was stolen two paintings by William Turner's" Shadow and Darkness. The evening before the Flood "," Light and color. Morning after the Flood "from the London Tate Modern, as well as the painting of Caspar David Friedrich" The band of fog "from a museum in Hamburg. Although the thieves was arrested a year later performers, "Darkness", "Light" and "Fog", for brevity, dubbed the picture in the press, they have not been found. According to investigators, the theft was ordered by the head of the Serbian nationalists Arkan, who was the biggest in Europe "private army". Turner's paintings at the exhibition have been insured for 36 million dollars, and companies Axa Nordstern Art and Lloyd's had to pay the money Tate. Then transferred to the insurer the right to ownership of the stolen items. However, in the case finds pictures Tate could buy them back. However, many years, and the detectives of the insurance company could not find any trace of any "Darkness" or "Light". The perpetrators waited until the dust settles.

Tate, meanwhile successfully invested money on the stock exchange and has made 36 million in 47. Seeing the despair of insurers, museum workers offered them in 1998, the right to buy back pictures of Turner's only 12 million after that, "knowledgeable people" Tate rumor that she was ready to pay ransom. Only two of the twelve members of the Board of Trustees of the Tate knew about the operation, and besides they are two members of the gallery. The author of the project "Return" was the director of the Tate, Nicholas Serota.

Soon found a mediator, suitable for both parties - a German lawyer Edgar Leabrooks. He agreed on condition that the German prosecutor's office admits his actions legal. Leabrooks issued an official paper confirming that the lawyer can negotiate in the event that he will be paid by Tate and did not get a deal for the money from thieves. All this is very questionable from a legal point of view, but the Germans were in a stupid position - in fact stolen the paintings on their territory, and they were obliged to help the British.

Leabrooks signed a contract with the Tate, where the recipient of five million, if successful, it is included. In fact, most of them destined for redemption, and the rest was attorneys' fees. Leabrooks plunged into the most desperate adventure in their lives where they were encrypted messages, travel in a car blindfolded, meeting at the safe houses and suitcases with millions in small denominations. All suspected all, and many times an impasse in negotiations. As a result of "Darkness" was purchased in July 2000 (six months after Arkan was gunned down in Belgrade, the Division of the land and began his "legacy") and "Light" - in December 2002. However, after redemption of the first pictures of the fact of its return to the museum in hiding so as not to disrupt the deal with the second.

British honestly paid the Leabrooks, but the Germans, with whom he signed a similar contract for the return of the Mist ", it inflated. Vykupiv masterpiece of Caspar David Friedrich, the lawyer had not received anything from the Frankfurt Kunsthalle, except for "thank you". Only then indignant about artneppinge Leabrooks told reporters.

The outcome of this story is: Tate received the painting back safe and sound, and yet "earned" based on the exchange of investment and interest of about $ 36 million on net profit from the theft of the museum bought a few masterpieces, and to repair the building.

Officially, neither Tate, nor Kunsthalle Frankfurt did not recognize that the redemption pictures from criminals. They insisted that they paid no thieves, and lawyers. Such tactics are very questionable and sets a precedent for future thefts. The main lesson learned robbers: better "clean" are not museums, but vystavkiblokbastery where collected masterpieces, temporarily insured for amounts that significantly exceed the usual insurance. And yet - do not look for trouble with the negotiations, and wait until an insurance company, or museum "dozreyut" themselves.
Insurance for talks

Very similar to artnepping way to use the stolen works as "insurance" for the criminals themselves. In 1990, the U.S. was robbed Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Disappeared without a trace of 13 works worth $ 300 million, including the Pearl Museum - Delft Vermeer painting "The Concert". Stealing shocked America, John Updike has even written a penetrating poem "Stolen masterpieces" in the final of which the following lines:

    Tortured in his wretched hiding-place,
    It is known only by the thief,
    Probably, the prisoners are baffled:
    "Who kidnapped us, and with what purpose?"
    Or maybe they admired in the palace of the Emir,
    Or in a villa near Manila ace?

Artdetektiv Charles Hill is sure: neither the emir, or Manila ace has nothing to do with it. According to him, Isabella Gardner Museum robbery committed people Bulger - one of the leaders of the Irish Mafia in Boston, who for many years combined mafia career with work in the FBI. However, police chiefs had changed and the authorities decided to get rid of the odious, and yes even gotten out of control agent. But no such luck - Bulger disappeared. Notably, Boston robbery occurred in St. Patrick's Day, which the Irish as their main holiday. According to Hill's "concert" Vermeer and other museum items mobsters used as hostages in the negotiations with the FBI: as long as you do not touch me, they will be safe and maybe someday come back to the museum, will touch - all of my associates will be destroyed.
Best detective
Hill was born in 1947 in Cambridge, England. Father - U.S. Air Force pilot, his mother - an Englishwoman. I finished school in England. From 1967 to 1969 he fought in Vietnam in the 82 th Airborne Division United States. He graduated from Washington University and Trinity College in Dublin with a degree in modern history. " He studied theology at Kings College in London. He worked as a teacher of history in Northern Ireland. Since 1976 - the London police. Twenty years has gone from a simple constable to chief of the Art and Antique Division of Scotland Yard. He has hundreds of successful operations to recover stolen works. In 1993 - Return Vermeer painting "Lady with the maid, writing letters," Goya's "Portrait of the Actress Antonia Zarate" and other paintings, stolen by General of the manor Russborough House. In 1995, personally played the role of buyer and arrested the kidnappers and returned the picture of Munch's "Scream" stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo. In 1996, helped the Czech Police smash gang of robbers and recover dozens of valuable items, including paintings by Lucas Cranach of the National Gallery in Prague. In 2001 he opened his own detective agency. The biggest success in the role of the private artdetektiva - back in 2002, Titian "Rest on the Flight into Egypt", stolen from the estate of Lord Bath Longleat in England.
Masterpieces Through the Looking Glass

The invention of the original method of implementation of the stolen masterpieces of the world of thieves, too, must Irishman. In 1986, the mafia boss in Dublin, Martin Cahill, nicknamed The General personally led the robbery of the estate of Alfred Beit Russborough House, where he is now one of the world's finest private collections. Booty bandits were 18 paintings by old masters worth $ 100 million. General decided to concentrate in their hands the drug trade in the British Isles. Stolen works of art were to ensure this venture money. Cahill came up with an ingenious combination. Pictures, staying in "Wonderland" of the criminal world, used it as collateral and original currency calculations between mafia clans in different countries.

Gabriel Metsu painting "Lady Reading a Letter" was sent to the Irish in Istanbul in exchange for a large shipment of heroin. Three paintings, including "Portrait of Madame Bachelli" Gainsborough, went to the payment of the drug in London. Two landscapes by Francesco Guardi were in Miami, and "Head cavalier" Rubens went to one of the Irish terrorist groups. The top four pictures, including "The Lady with the maid, writing letters" and Vermeer's "Portrait of the Actress Antonia Zarate" Goya, General gave the Antwerp diamond dealer as collateral security for a loan, and he placed them in storage Luxembourg bank.

Employed at the dealer the money was used for the purchase of the Dublin mafia bank on the island of Antigua in the Caribbean Sea and the organization of a complex system for the laundering of profits from drug trafficking, which involved the company in Norway, Germany, Cyprus and the tax haven Isle of Man. Irish Drugs purchased in Spain, and smugglers imported to the UK. Police in Europe and America "fished" the stolen paintings in different countries, many years later, after the General himself in 1994, was shot in the head on the doorstep of his home, something was divided with the Irish Republican Army.

Scotland Yard, who was coordinator of the investigation, in 1997, made the case mafioso special statement, warning that appeared on the stage of organized crime and terrorist political groups. For criminals masterpieces - nothing like money for drug and arms trafficking. Scotland Yard was worried for nothing.

December 23, 2000, three armed robbers in masks entered the National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm just before its closure. While one held at gunpoint at the bottom of the machine guard, two others rushed into the halls of the second floor. There are, threatening with pistols, laid on the floor attendants and spectators, was seized previously designated pattern and rushed toward the exit. The channel near the museum robbers waiting for a motor boat on which they fled.

At the time of robbery to the police call about a dozen people to panic about allegations that a remote area of the city allegedly burning cars and riots occur. It was a diversionary tactic. While police tried to find out what kind of fire, taking all the phone lines until the patrol and special operations forces on a false alarm raced to the outskirts of Stockholm, the museum robbers smoothly melted into the night. When, finally, roaring sirens, cars with flashing lights pulled up to the museum, they punctured tires on iron thorns that thieves prudently scattered on the asphalt.

Extraction of criminals - two paintings by Renoir and a Rembrandt worth more than $ 50 million crime was so brilliantly organized that the investigation was immediately deadlocked. Helped the case - in April 2001, police laid participants selling large quantities of drugs, in return for which offered stolen in Stockholm, "Conversation with the gardener," by Renoir. Singers theft was arrested, but the rest of the picture, gone to the "shadow economy" of the criminal world, found in Denmark and the United States only by September 2005.

The ten best films of the theft of works of art
1. Dr. No.
1962. UK-USA. Director: Terence Young. Cast: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman.
2. Happy thieves.
1962. USA. Director: George Marshall. Cast: Rita Heyuort, Rex Harrison.
3. Topkapi.
1964. USA. Director: Jules Dassin. Cast: Melina Mercouri, Peter Ustinov.
4. Gambia.
1966. USA. Directed by: Ronald Niamh. Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine.
5. How to Steal a Million.
1966. USA. Director: William Wyler. Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole.
6. Return of "St. Luke".
1970. USSR. Director: Anatoly Bobrowski. Cast: Vsevolod Sanaev, Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, Oleg Basilashvili.
7. Zong heng si hai.
1991. Hong Kong. Director: John Woo. Cast: Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Chung, Cherie Chung.
8. General.
1998. UK-Ireland. Director: John Boorman. Cast: Brendan Gleeson.
9. Trap.
1999. United States-United Kingdom. Director: John Emiel. Cast: Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
10. The Thomas Crown Affair.
1999. USA. Director: John McTiernan. Cast: Peter Brosnan, Rene Russo.
Loophole for thieves

In addition artneppinga and "glass" "can not be discounted prosaic sale in private collections and even museums. And it is done legally. To avoid problems with the law passionate lovers of art helps a very confusing situation with the law.

Who owns the stolen work of art? You may say - of course, the victim of a robbery. But if everything was so simple! It turns out that this issue is a significant difference between most European countries, the legislation which are norms of the Code Napoleon, and the countries of Anglo-Saxon world.

In Britain and its former colonies, including, of course, and the United States, the principle of Roman law: "No one can transfer to another more rights than a". This means that no one can sell or give to another property that was not his. Therefore, before the law the owner of the stolen works of art is the one who has it stolen.

Not so the case in continental Europe or Japan. Here, the thief has a chance to "clean up" stolen, if he could find a buyer, so-called "bona fide purchaser." A man who legally, observing all formalities, buying stolen product, in the case of claims of its former owner is entitled to a refund. And the compensation paid by the owner robbed, because the thief had long vanished.

It is believed that the bona fide purchaser "did not know and could not know" the criminal history of their purchases, and difficult to prove the opposite. Even if the theft of newspapers trumpeted around the world, he can say he tried to inquire about the fate he has bought the painting, but to no avail, and TV does not look or at the time of theft was in the country, where the message was not there. But you never know what might come up with a good lawyer for a good fee?

But that's not all: after a certain period of bona fide purchaser becomes full owner of the stolen masterpiece. In Italy, this period is minimal in Japan - two years, and in France - three. Russia also protects the interests of bona fide purchaser. True, he should openly have bought the thing, "delivering" it to the exhibition. And the deadline for the introduction of its ownership of an impressive - 20 years.

The classic demonstration of the different approaches to the theft was the case with a fragment of mosaic VI century, stolen from the church in the Turkish part of Cyprus. Mosaic, in 1988, bought in Switzerland for $ 1 million a collector from the United States. The Turkish government has learned the whereabouts of stolen works and demanded its return. Swiss law recognizes the absolute owner or an American on the basis of the fact that it is officially paid the real price of the mosaic. But the court her native Indianapolis sided with the Turks and in 1991 decided to return the stolen goods to Cyprus.

But even if you are lucky and your case considered by the Court one of the Anglo-Saxon countries, do not hurry to rejoice. The question is, what law he will apply. In 1979 England was stolen collection of Japanese art. The thief brought it to Italy and then sold to a bona fide purchaser. In 1980 he sent a collection at auction Christie's in London. Robbed the owner, referring to English law, required to return the value to him. But it probably was not familiar with the Russian proverb: "The law that the pole, where you turn, there it happened." Italian lawyers persuaded an English court that in this case working Italian law under which their client has already become the legal owner of stolen goods. The unfortunate Englishman in complete impotence watched as his collection was sold by auction.

In 1995, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law UNIDROIT (UNIDRUA) developed the Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. The purpose of this document - to plug loopholes for thieves in international law, which remained after the adoption of the UNESCO convention of 1970, and finally create a unified legal framework for combating organized crime in this area. The principal provision of the Convention states that the stolen product must be returned to its original owner in any case. Bona fide purchaser is entitled to compensation, but now that you have recognized as such, should strongly try. We have to prove not only that you did not know that the product of stolen goods, but also what you made every effort to ascertain its origin, but have not managed to get to the truth or had been deceived. This purchase is necessary to know the open. Claims for refund is valid for three years after the discovery of the object owner and within 50 years from the date of theft. Produce them can not only state, as required by the Convention of UNESCO in 1970, but a private person. Under special circumstances, the limitation period may be extended to 75 years and more.

It seems to be all right, and no one would dare not openly deny the need to combat the theft of art, but around the adoption of the convention a great hole battle unfolded. Countries that museums are crammed with masterpieces, looted in colonial wars, fear that they will have to return the booty ancestors. On this there is good reason. For example, Greece is seeking for himself the exclusive statute of limitations in 5 000 years, which throws in awe of all the directors of antique collections. Actively lobby for adoption of the convention insurance companies, which each year are forced to pay $ 1 billion plundered owners only in the British Isles. Art dealer, on the contrary, loudly protested, predicting the end of the antique market.

As a result of a convention signed by only 22 countries and only 11 of them have ratified it and brought its legislation into conformity with its requirements. By completely incomprehensible reasons, Russia, signing the document one of the first, is still holding up ratification.

Ten most valuable ever missing (1990-2004)
Jan Vermeer Delft. Concert. Stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The cost of $ 100 million fee $ 5 million
Benvenuto Cellini. Saliera. Stolen in 2003 from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The cost of $ 60 million fee to $ 85 thousand
Leonardo da Vinci (?). Madonna of the spindle. Stolen in 2002 from the estate of the Duke of Buccleuch in Scotland. Cost about $ 50 million compensation to $ 1.8 million
Munch. Creek. Stolen in 2004 from the Munch Museum in Oslo. The cost of 45 million dollars.
Jan van Eyck. Door "righteous judges" of the Ghent Altarpiece. Was lost in 1934 from the Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent. The cost of not less than $ 30 million
Michelangelo Caravaggio. Christmas with the Saints Francis and Lawrence. 1609. Stolen in 1969 from the chapel of St. Lorenzo in Palermo. Sicily. The cost of not less than $ 30 million
Rembrandt. Storm on the Sea of Galilee. Stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The cost of not less than $ 30 million $ 5 million Reward
Munch. Madonna. Stolen in 2004 from the Munch Museum in Oslo. Cost of $ 25 million
Vincent Van Gogh. Sea view from Sveheninge. Stolen in 2002 from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The cost of $ 10 million fee to $ 130 000
Pablo Picasso. Portrait of Dora Maar. Stolen in 1999 from the yacht "Coral Island". The cost of $ 6 million in compensation to $ 690 000
Almighty "artskvody"

While debate continues in the fight against theft have to use is not quite perfect laws, relying on the skill of the staff of special units. The first special service "Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage" created in 1969 by the Italians. She now has over one hundred specialists with higher education and mandatory knowledge of foreign languages. Not only do they regularly shoot at the shooting range and learn about new items criminology, but constantly improved in art history and museum practice.

Reputation artkarabinerov very high. They returned more than 150 000 stolen from the museums of art and over 300 000 archaeological finds. Italian hunters masterpieces traditionally strong network of informants primarily artbiznese and are renowned for rigidity during special operations. In fact, the artkarabinery just two months found 18 paintings from the Tretyakov Gallery, stolen from an exhibition in Genoa in 1991.

He is famous for its professionalism and "artskvod" Scotland Yard. Its signature technique - the introduction of agents in the environment of criminals. This is the "mole" undid ingenious combination Cahill. There is no equal to the British and in the preparation of fake buyers. The police play a role in either the representatives of museums, ready to "dirty" deal, or shady average hand, which is full of antique world of London and New York. Sometimes, to lull the thieves are antique front companies and even banks.

In Russia, a unified service to combat the theft of works of art there, but the special divisions established in the Interior Ministry and FSB. In the analytical work to actively help the Ministry of Culture. All play an important role not only national police, but the International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol. Since 1991, the Interpol National Central Bureau has been successfully operating in Russia. For example, in August 2005 with his help succeeded in returning to Russia XVI century icon "The Virgin Hodegetria" stolen in 1994 from a museum in Ustyuzhna.

In a globalizing world, the main weapon to combat art theft is not a police pistol, and a computer researcher.

In 1991 in London, a retired police officer James Emson organized Art Lost Register - «Art Loss Register. The privately owned company began with just eight people. At her feet helped get the insurance company, which is particularly hard blow wave of robberies. The basis of the ALR - the computer database of almost 120 000 of the missing pieces. The employees of "tracking" stolen goods on the endless antiques market in the world, using open sources of information: the Internet, catalogs, press.

ALR Services used by more than 270 insurance companies. Other groups in the number of clients included auction houses and private collectors who purchase do not want to "descend" on the stolen works. Police access to data is free. Already operating offices ALR in New York, Cologne and St. Petersburg. Through the company found more than 3 000 of stolen goods. ALR is now not alone. Its roster of leading police in many countries. Database "Antiques" is available in the Russian Interior Ministry, it collected information on 48 thousand stolen in our country works. Data Bank at the General Secretariat in Lyon actively replenishes Interpol. Every year, he released a disc with data on 20 000 most valuable loss. The main task today - to unify information about the thefts and to maximize and accelerate its spread. It now depends on this, I will replay detectives thieves who have learned to quickly remove stolen abroad and sell away from the crime scene. Meanwhile, press reports about art thefts reminiscent of reports of hostilities.

Grigory Kozlov

[Кирилл Сызранский]

Сообщение от FAIv

Grigory Kozlov

He has a great book "Assassination of art."

[gans]

Сообщение от FAIv

And here is a fairly detailed article about the theft

http://forum.artinvestment.ru/showth...B0%D0%B6%D0%B8

[ФАИв]

gans, now I see chtouzhe was. Well, the admin will decide what to do.

[Евгений]

FAIv, and let there be information that is on ..

[gans]

Сообщение от FAIv

now I see that already. Well, the admin will decide what to do.

I do not for this show, just in the context of this topic can be, additionally, there's something interesting find.