Stolen Art Watch, Civil Unrest, Art Theft, its a War 2009

Thieves steal art worth a million in Almelo heist

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/zijlijn/6120243/Thieves-steal-art-worth-a-million-in-Almelo-heist

According to the Twentse Courant Tubantia, thieves broke into a villa in Almelo earlier this week and made off with six paintings estimated to be worth one million euros. Three of the stolen art works by Jan Sluijters. Police have confirmed the report in the Twentse newspaper, but have refused to identify the other three artists or how much the paintings are worth. A police spokesperson said the stolen artworks are extremely valuable but they cannot comment further as the case is being investigated. The paintings belong to a private collector who requested a media blackout on the theft.

The Twentse paper says three of the stolen paintings are works by Jan Slujters, 1881-1957, a Dutch artist famous for his portraits of women. Sluijters, frequently spelt 'Sluyters' in English, was a leading proponent of various post-impressionistic movements in the Netherlands. In 1906 he won the Prix de Rome, the most important Dutch art award. The prize include a grant that allowed him to study abroad for four years.

In Paris, he was influenced by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin. Later influences include Vincent van Gogh and Fauvism. He experimented with many styles, including Abstract Expressionism and Cubism. The exact size of his oeuvre is not known but 1650 works in oil have been catalogued. He painted nudes, still lifes and portraits.

Search Expanded for Art Stolen from Berlin Gallery

Police widened their search Sunday for 30 works of art, including prints by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, that were stolen from a Berlin gallery on New Year's Eve.

A police spokeswoman said authorities in other countries had been asked to look out for the missing sculptures and etchings, worth an estimated 180,000 euros ($250,000).
They were stolen from the Fasanengalerie, a private gallery in the fashionable Charlottenburg district of western Berlin.

The missing works include Picasso's 1947 Profil au Fond Noir and Nude in a Rocking Chair (1913) by Matisse as well as a sculpture weighing around 100 kilograms.

The works were on loan to the gallery and due to be shown in an exhibition scheduled to open mid-January. Police believe the thieves will try to sell the works on the international market.

Art Hostage comments:

There is an interesting explanation to the Dutch art theft, above, I will go further when it is safe to do so.

Berlin art theft, some prints have been tubed up and are on their way to Miami for the January art fairs.

2009 will be remembered as the year of civil unrest and art theft will rise accordingly.

Sorry to my readers for not being at my toxic best but events have tempered my toxic expressions for now.

Good news is Art Hostage will be back to his usual toxic best very very soon.

For those of you wondering about the identity of Art Hostage, drop me an e-mail and I will gladly give you my CV and background.

To those who may have helpful knowledge about the whereabouts of the elusive Stolen Gardner art from Boston.

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If you want a positive outcome consult Art Hostage first and foremost, why, well if you proceed without considering the advice of Art Hostage you will not get any reward and will almost certainly be arrested and charged.

So, don't complain if you get stung by authorities concerning the Gardner art if you proceed without consulting Art Hostage, you have been warned.