In a brazen overnight heist, two of Andy Warhol's iconic silk screens have been stolen from a gallery in the Netherlands, raising concerns over art security and the art trading market.
Andy Warhol Silkscreens Stolen in Dutch Gallery Heist
Andy Warhol Silkscreens Stolen in Dutch Gallery Heist
Artworks of Late Queens Taken Amid Gallery Break-In in North Brabant
The theft occurred at the MPV Gallery in North Brabant, where thieves initially managed to steal four silkscreens from Warhol's Reigning Queens series but left two behind, as confirmed by the gallery owner to NOS. Among the stolen works are portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Denmark's Margrethe II, who abdicated earlier this year.
According to local police, signs of an explosion were noted at the scene, causing significant damage to both the gallery and adjacent buildings. The perpetrators reportedly escaped in a vehicle, highlighting the audacity of their operation. The two unretrieved prints of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Tfwala of Eswatini were abandoned merely due to space constraints in the getaway car.
The stolen artworks were slated for the upcoming PAN Amsterdam art fair, where they were to be sold as a complete set. This series of silk screens, which portrays four queens and was created by Warhol in 1985, remains highly valuable—two prints depicting Queen Elizabeth II alone fetched over £500,000 each at Sotheby's in 2022. The incident underscores the challenges of securing high-value art, a concern that continues to resonate in the art world.
According to local police, signs of an explosion were noted at the scene, causing significant damage to both the gallery and adjacent buildings. The perpetrators reportedly escaped in a vehicle, highlighting the audacity of their operation. The two unretrieved prints of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Tfwala of Eswatini were abandoned merely due to space constraints in the getaway car.
The stolen artworks were slated for the upcoming PAN Amsterdam art fair, where they were to be sold as a complete set. This series of silk screens, which portrays four queens and was created by Warhol in 1985, remains highly valuable—two prints depicting Queen Elizabeth II alone fetched over £500,000 each at Sotheby's in 2022. The incident underscores the challenges of securing high-value art, a concern that continues to resonate in the art world.
