Image: iBiblio
Who doesn’t love art, right? We’ve all encountered some painting, drawing, sculpture, or installation that spoke to us. After all, art is something that is derived from inspiration, and it is certainly more than capable of instigating it in others. That’s why creative people tend to research and seek out original works from other creative people, so as to spark their own imaginations and eureka moments.
But sometimes, just sometimes, the motivations of those who seek out art are a little less noble. We’re talking about those who steal it, and not because they love it oh so much, but because they know its black market value.
Every now and then we'll hear about a work of art that had been stolen long ago (or perhaps gone missing during a crisis) and was recovered after many decades. But how many of these have been seriously famous works of art? Actually, many high profile (never mind super expensive) works of art have been stolen over the course of modern human history. For instance, several Van Gogh’s have been snatched just from 2000-2014 alone. On December 7th, someone managed to pilfer Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church and View of the Sea at Scheveningen as part of a $300,000,000 heist. In 2010, Van Gogh’s Poppy Flowers, a painting estimated to be worth some $50,000,000 disappeared as well. Some other famous works of art that were stolen include three of Georgia O'Keeffe's works, The Scream and Madonna by Edvard Munch, andThe Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt (among others).
Despite these recent thefts, art theft is absolutely not a recent problem. Art theft has occurred ever since we began dabbling in art beyond cave walls. In Ancient Greece, temples, altars and other places of worship were looted, just as they were in Ancient Egypt, Macedonia, Rome, and any other civilization that was stable enough to have artists, and rich people to pay for the goods. Even The Parthenon wasn’t immune to thievery. The cult image of Athena was snatched from the iconic monument sometime in the 5th century. Perhaps most famously, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911.
Fortunately, not all famous works of art that were stolen were lost forever. Unfortunately, the number of recovered stolen art is modest, and most were recovered accidentally. Just recently, an ancient Roman sarcophagus lid depicting a woman lying on a couch was found in warehouse in Queens. What can we say? These things happen.
But if you happen to come across any works of art you suspect are famous or valuable, especially if you have reason to believe it was stolen, turning it in is always the right thing to do. Many discussions are had about the value of art and what makes one work of art more valuable than another, but the bottom line is art is for the public, not for the individual (especially when a famous artist is behind the work). If you have doubts about the authenticity of a work you've come across, an expert art authenticator can help to determine the origins of a work of art - contact youru local art museum for a reference. Just be sure to take care when transporting any work of art, especially if there's a chance it's valuable. As art shipping specialists, your local Navis Pack & Ship center will coordinate with you and the authenticator to ensure a safe journey. And who knows, you may even be credited with returning a famous work of art to the public!
By Steve Goble, VP of Marketing Communications for Navis Pack & Ship. When he's not spilling packing and shipping secrets, he's spending time with his family at a San Diego Padres or Chargers game. Connect with Steve on Google+ and LinkedIn.
