Latest news with #arttheft
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Norfolk woman hands over 16th-century painting identified as stolen 50 years ago
A 16th-century Madonna and Child painting that ended up with a woman in Norfolk after it was stolen from a museum in Italy half a century ago is to be returned to its rightful owner. After years of soul-searching, and persuading by an art lawyer who was acting pro bono, Barbara de Dozsa decided to hand it over to the Civic Museum of Belluno, which last saw the painting in 1973. As the Guardian reported in March, she had refused to return the artwork, even though it is on the most-wanted lists of various police forces, including Interpol and the Italian Carabinieri. She had argued ownership, partly because her former husband, the late Baron de Dozsa, bought it in good faith in 1973, soon after the robbery. Until their divorce, it was in their 16th-century Norfolk home, East Barsham manor near Fakenham, described by Henry VIII as his 'small country palace'. It was painted by the Italian artist, Antonio Solario, known as Lo Zingaro (the Gypsy), some of whose other paintings are in the National Gallery in London. Acquired by Belluno in 1872, it was among several works that were stolen a century later. Some were recovered soon afterwards in Austria, where De Dozsa's husband bought the Solario painting from an unnamed source. Its whereabouts was unknown until 2017, when De Dozsa tried to sell it through a regional auction house, and it was spotted by someone linked to the Belluno museum. The painting was handed back to De Dozsa in 2020 as delays caused by the Covid lockdown led to the Italian authorities being unable to supply relevant documents requested by the British police. Over the years, Christopher Marinello, a leading specialist art lawyer, had tried repeatedly to persuade her to do 'the right thing' and return it to Belluno. He handled the recovery negotiations on a pro-bono basis because he wanted to help the town in the Veneto region of northern Italy, from where his family originated. De Dozsa initially cited the UK Limitations Act of 1980, which states that a person who buys stolen goods can be recognised as the legal owner if the purchase was unconnected to the theft after more than six years. Marinello dismissed that argument as 'nonsense'. He said: 'While the UK Limitations Act certainly supported her position, the fact that the painting was listed on the Interpol and Carabinieri stolen art databases, meant that the painting could never be sold, exhibited or even transported without the risk of being seized.' He is the founder of Art Recovery International, which focuses on stolen or looted art and is based in London, Venice and New York. His previous recoveries include a Matisse painting that was stolen in 1987 from Stockholm's Museum of Modern Art and had disappeared without trace for 25 years until it surfaced in London. De Dozsa eventually agreed to release the painting unconditionally to Belluno. Marinello said: 'She has restored my faith in humanity when so many possessors today of stolen artwork try to hold on to it. Despite the rights of the victim, people have no sympathy any more and she has proven otherwise.' He joked: 'When it comes to returning stolen art and doing the right thing, I can be annoyingly persistent. But ultimately, it was Barbara de Dozsa's decision to make, and she chose wisely.' He paid tribute to Arte Generali, the art insurance company that made the recovery possible with a donation to cover the logistical costs, although it was unconnected with this case. 'Without their support, this recovery would never have happened,' Marinello said. Another Madonna and Child, by the 19th-century Italian artist Placido Fabris, is among other stolen paintings missing from Belluno. They are listed on the Carabinieri stolen art database. Marinello is calling for the public to contact him if they spot any of them in private or public collections: 'The Solario made it to the UK, why not these?' Oscar De Pellegrin, the mayor of Belluno, said: 'Returning this painting to the city means giving back a fragment of its identity, its history and its soul.' De Dozsa declined to comment.
New York Times
6 days ago
- New York Times
The Familiar Fingerprints of a Forgotten Art Heist
When Lou Schachter visited the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 2014, he appreciated the flowers by Georgia O'Keeffe, the cityscapes from Edward Hopper and the signature splatter of Jackson Pollock. But he was most intrigued by the empty frame on one of the gallery walls. A small plaque nearby explained that in 1985, someone had cut Willem de Kooning's 'Woman-Ochre' from the frame and made off with it. No one had seen the painting since. Schachter, a corporate consultant with a homespun interest in unsolved mysteries, was fascinated by the story of one person distracting security while another took the abstract oil painting of a nude woman. He loved to write and took notes with the intention of digging into the theft someday. The de Kooning turned up before he got around to it. In 2017, it was discovered hanging behind the bedroom door of Jerome and Rita Alter, retired public schoolteachers who had died. Valued at $400,000 when it was stolen, the painting is now considered worth more than $100 million. After the painting's long restoration process, Schachter got back in his car and drove hundreds of miles from Palm Springs, Calif., to Tucson, Ariz., to see 'Woman-Ochre' where the empty frame had once been. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Damien Hirst is accused of 'stealing' the idea of using live flies in his work from fellow artist he went to college with in the 90s
Damien Hirst has been accused of stealing the idea of using live flies in his work from a fellow artist he went to college with in the 90s. Hamad Butt made Fly-Piece, an artwork featuring live flies, which was considered among the 'earliest works of bio-art in the UK' when it was shown at his degree show in June 1990, The Times first reported. Just a month later Hirst, who was at the time an unknown artist who had also studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, released A Thousand Years, which showcased an army of flies feasting on a cow's head. Renowned collector Charles Saatchi was reportedly amazed by the exhibition and decided to purchase Hirst's A Thousand Years. The famous artist then spent years producing bio-art including his Natural History series, as well as The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. Meanwhile, Butt tragically died in 1994 aged just 32 after contracting Aids. While Hirst has been accused of copying Butt's idea before, a new London exhibition of the late artist's work has brought the claims back to the surface. In a catalogue for the exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, curator Dominic Johnson penned that Hirst's A Thousand Years 'appears to have directly appropriated from Butt'. He added: 'Friends and family recall Butt felt this was the case and that he was unhappy when Hirst's sculpture received greater acclaim.' Mr Johnson claimed Hirst 'likely encountered Butt's piece first-hand in its development', with their time as students at Goldsmiths allegedly overlapping for two years. Hirst's representatives reportedly said the artwork may have appeared in an earlier Modern Medicine exhibition, held before Butt revealed his Fly-Piece. But this was still understood to be after Butt developed his prototype while studying at Goldsmiths, with Hirst a fellow student. Hirst, who is arguably the most influential living British artist, has been hit with plagiarism claims on more than one occasion - previously making a 'goodwill payment' to a designer. Additionally, he has also faced damages claims in US courts for alleged copying.
Telegraph
11-07-2025
- Telegraph
Thief ‘missed priceless Damien Hirst works' in raid on artist's studio
A burglar stole £400,000 worth of items from Damien Hirst's riverside studio – but left behind artworks potentially worth millions, it has been claimed. The thief smashed a window to enter the workshop in Hammersmith, west London, at some point between June 27 and 30, Westminster magistrates' court was told. They are said to have stolen unique T-shirts, shirts and trousers designed by the artist, along with a set of hi-tech speakers, from the studio in the Thames Wharf building. Leslie Gomm, 61, pleaded guilty to handling the stolen goods, although the court heard that his son, Liam, is suspected of carrying out the burglary and remains at large. Suleman Hussain, prosecuting, said the building had a password-protected secure door but the burglar smashed through a window next to a fire exit to reach the second-floor gallery. 'The premises in question is a workshop – it is not residential,' he said. 'When the victim returned to the property, they noted that there were items strewn all over the floor. 'The exit door was open, and the window by the fire door was completely smashed open. They believe this is probably how the burglar got in. A police officer has confirmed that approximately £400,000 worth of items were stolen.' Some pieces were reportedly recovered from Gomm's address in Fulham, south-west London, but a number, valued in the thousands, remain missing. The court heard that the discovered pieces were returned to Hirst after Gomm initially denied any knowledge of the stolen items and claimed they were from a car boot sale. Gomm lived at the address with his son, who is now wanted by police over the burglary, said Mr Hussain. 'His son is currently subject to a GPS tag,' the prosecutor added. 'After the incident, the son has taken off his tag and he is at large, wanted by the police.' Moira MacFarlane, defending, said Gomm had worked on the railways for seven years until his mother became ill and died. He will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Aug 6. While it is not known which artworks were kept at Hirst's studio, nearby residents said they believed the thief had missed out on pieces worth millions. One told the Daily Mail: 'Quite amusingly, the rumour is they did not take any artwork. Whoever it was just went straight past invaluable artwork and made off with thousands in clothes.' Hirst, 60, has been reported to be the world's richest artist, with an estimated net worth of more than £300 million. He burst onto the art scene in the 1990s, along with fellow artists like Tracey Emin, and his work was championed by the influential collector Charles Saatchi. His works have sold for huge sums, such as Lullaby Spring, a cabinet holding 6,136 individually painted pills, which sold for £15 million in 2007. Other notable works have included animals preserved in formaldehyde, including a dove, a pair of calves, and a shark dissected into three pieces.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Burglar steals clothes worth £400k from Damien Hirst's studio - while 'failing to spot artwork worth millions'
A cat burglar smashed into Damien Hirst's riverside studio and stole hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of original artwork, the Mail can reveal. Nearly £400,000 worth of unique t-shirts, shirts and trousers designed by the renowned artist plus a set of high-tech speakers were looted from the art workshop in west London. Leslie Gomm, 61, has admitted handling the stolen goods but the burglar, said to be his son, Liam, is still wanted by police, a court heard. The heist took place between June 27 and 30 in Hirst's sprawling studio in the riverside Thames Wharf building in west London, which overlooks the river between Hammersmith and Putney bridges. The building has a password-protected secure door but the thief smashed through a window next to a fire exit to get to the second floor gallery, Suleman Hussain, prosecuting, told Westminster Magistrates' Court. 'The premises in question is a workshop; it is not residential,' he said. 'When the victim returned to the property they noted that there were items strewn all over the floor. 'The exit door was open and the window by the fire door was completely smashed open. 'They believe this is probably how the burglar got in. A police officer has confirmed approximately £400,000 worth of items were stolen.' Turner Prize-winning artist Damien Hirst, pictured burning of his artwork during Frieze Week, is one of Britain's most celebrated artists Some of the property has been returned after it was discovered at Gomm's address, in Fulham, southwest London, but a number of pieces, valued in the thousands, remain missing. Mr Hussain said Gomm lived at the address with his son, who was currently wanted by police over the burglary. 'His son is currently subject to a GPS tag,' the prosecutor said. 'After the incident, the son has taken off his tag and he is at large wanted by the police.' Following his arrest, Gomm, who has a previous 110 offences to his name, of which 72 are theft or similar, initially denied any knowledge of the stolen items and claimed they were from a car boot sale, the court heard. But on Wednesday he indicated a guilty plea to handling the stolen goods. He will enter a basis of facts for that plea at Isleworth Crown Court during his sentencing hearing on August 6. Gomm's lawyer, Moira MacFarlane, said her client had worked on the railways for seven years until his mother became unwell and died. Remanding Gomm into custody, Magistrates Susan McGrane told him: 'Given the potential value of the stolen goods, you are going to be committed to the Crown Court for sentencing. 'The offence is so serious we do not have a great enough punishment we can give.' Residents by Thames Wharf said it was thought that the thief walked past priceless artworks to target the clothes. One said: 'We heard they went in on about the 30th. 'But quite amusingly the rumour is they did not take any artwork. 'Whoever it was just went straight past invaluable artwork and made off with thousands in clothes.' Once an industrial site, Thames Wharf Studios was transformed in the 1980s by architect Richard Rogers and became home to artists, architects and the famous River Café. A neighbour said the studio, which took a large delivery of canvases on Wednesday, was also used by snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan. Thought to be Britain's richest artist with a net worth of more than £300million, Hirst, 60, has produced world-famous provocative pieces such as 1991's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living – a tiger shark submerged in formaldehyde. Another iconic piece, Mother and Child (Divided) consists of a cow and calf bisected and preserved in separate tanks filled with formaldehyde. The artwork was a focal point of Hirst's Turner Prize winning exhibition in 1995. Hirst's work has been displayed at the British Museum, the Tate, New York's Museum of Modern Art and many others. He also owns a 2,000-piece art collection that includes works from Francis Bacon and Picasso, and has a vast haul of historical artefacts, taxidermy and natural history specimens. A spokesman for the artist said he would not comment on the burglary. A source said it was impossible to know the true value of the haul given the pieces were unique, unseen by the public and were yet to be assessed by experts.
