Andy Warhol pieces stollen and damaged in "amateurish" gallery heist

Amsterdam — Two useful by creator Andy Warhol were stolen during nan nighttime of Thursday to Friday from a assemblage successful nan southbound of nan Netherlands, while 2 different screenprints were abandoned nearby. The thieves utilized dense explosives to break into nan MPV Gallery successful Oisterwijk successful North Brabant state and took disconnected pinch 2 screenprints showing erstwhile queens Elizabeth II of nan United Kingdom and Margrethe II of Denmark, Dutch media NOS reported.

Gallery proprietor Mark Peet Visser told The Associated Press that nan thieves attempted to make disconnected pinch each 4 useful from Warhol's 1985 bid called "Reigning Queens," which besides features portraits of nan then-queens of nan Netherlands and nan mini African kingdom of Swaziland, which is now known arsenic Eswatini.

Four artworks depicting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, portion of a bid titled Reigning Queens by Andy Warhol, (1985), are seen connected grounds astatine nan erstwhile Royal Palace turned depository Paleis Het Loo successful Apeldoorn, Netherlands, successful an Oct. 9, 2024 record photo. Peter Dejong/AP

Visser told nan AP successful a telephone question and reply that nan heist was captured connected information cameras, and he called it "amateurish" for nan brutish methods utilized to bargain nan prints.

"The explosive onslaught was truthful convulsive that my full building was destroyed," he told nan news agency. "So, they did that portion of it well, excessively well, actually, and past they ran to nan car pinch nan artworks and it turns retired that they won't fresh successful nan car... At that infinitesimal nan useful are ripped retired of nan frames and you besides cognize that they are damaged beyond repair, because it is intolerable to get them retired undamaged."

The useful depicting erstwhile Queen Beatrix of nan Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Tfwala of Swaziland were recovered abandoned connected nan street.

"The entranceway of nan assemblage was blown retired and location was solid each astir nan building," broadcaster NOS said.

Well-known Dutch creation detective Arthur Brand said "it is unusual that explosives were used."

"That's not communal for creation thefts," said Brand, who has made headlines for recovering artworks including a missing Picasso and a stolen Van Gogh.

The "Reigning Queens" bid by Pop Art pioneer Warhol was connected show successful nan assemblage earlier going connected waste astatine nan PAN Amsterdam creation fair, which runs from November 24 to December 1.

"The useful are worthy a sizeable sum," nan proprietor of nan assemblage Mark Peet Visser told section media Omroep Brabant.

Brand, however, told AFP nan stolen artworks were "not unsocial and astir apt tens of them were made."

"This makes it easier to waste than unsocial works, but not that overmuch easier," he said.

La MPV Gallery did not instantly respond to a petition for remark by AFP.

The "Reigning Queens" bid was created successful 1985, 2 years earlier nan American artist's death, erstwhile each 4 queens were successful power.  

In:
• Andy Warhol
• Amsterdam
• Art
• Queen Elizabeth II
• Grand Theft
• Netherlands
• Robbery