Rare Warhol Prints Stolen and Damaged in Botched Dutch Robbery

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As a seasoned gamer and art enthusiast who has spent countless hours navigating virtual worlds and admiring digital masterpieces, I can’t help but feel a pang of dismay upon hearing about the theft of Andy Warhol‘s screenprints from the MPV Gallery in the Netherlands. The audacity of these modern-day pirates, blasting their way through walls to snatch art that doesn’t even fit in their getaway car! It’s like trying to stuff a Mothra into a Pokeball.

Two screenprints from Andy Warhol’s 1985 “Reigning Queens” collection were both stolen and damaged during a failed burglary at an art gallery in the Netherlands. The incident, which occurred last Friday morning, caused a commotion among Oisterwijk residents due to a loud explosion. Security camera footage revealed that the thieves used explosives to break into MPV Gallery but found it difficult to make off with the artwork because it was too large for their car.

The police have managed to retrieve the escape vehicle and arrested one individual, but they still require more witnesses as their investigation progresses. Mark Peet Visser, the gallery owner, expresses his dismay to the Art Newspaper. He finds it regrettable that a criminal would operate in such a careless manner, using explosives excessively heavy for the tasks and a getaway car that was too compact for the artworks.

The Queens landed at MPV before a slated appearance at the PAN Amsterdam art fair. Of the four works in the 16-piece series, the robbers managed to snag two prints – English Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark –  leaving the portraits of Queen Mother Ntfombi of Eswatini and Dutch Princess Beatrix stripped form their frames and discarded in the street.

Worsening the situation, these prints are numbered and well-documented, making them impossible to sell on the open market. As Visser remarked in an interview with Dutch media outlet HLN, it appears that this work was commissioned for personal enjoyment tonight, perhaps with a fine glass of wine at home. I’m uncertain what else they could do with them now; maybe light a fire or something, who knows?

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2024-11-06 00:56