Over the holidays, two major art thefts were reported. A Picasso, Matisse and Braque were stolen in Berlin and a Degas was stolen in France. On a much more local scene, a restaurant in Kill Devil Hills had a collection of art stolen. It will be interesting to see if any are recovered.
TV shows and movies such as the Thomas Crowne Affair and White Collar perpetuate the myth that art crimes only happen in museums or to the super rich and that it does not really impact most people. Art crime hurts everyone. The crimminals are not gentle cultured people but are thugs.
Here are some facts about art crime:
"Art crime represents the third highest grossing criminal enterprise worldwide, behind only drugs and arms trafficking. It brings in $2-6 billion per year, most of which goes to fund international organized crime syndicates.
Most art crime since the 1960s is perpetrated either by, or on behalf of, international organized crime syndicates.They either use stolen art for resale, or to barter on a closed black market for an equivalent value of goods or services. Individually instigated art crimes are rare, and art crimes perpetrated for private collectors are rarest of all.
One of the greatest problems is that neither the general public, nor government officials, realize the severity of art crime. Art crime funds all organized crime enterprises, including terrorism. And yet it is often dismissed as a victimless crime, because it is not understood." Facts are quoted from www.artcrime.info
Illustrated is the etching
Pour Roby by
Picasso. This is a Collector's Guild edition.