The Stolen Paintings Odyssey

Works by famous painters, evaluated at over 18 million Euros, stolen from a Dutch museum, and uncertainties regarding their fate are the main ingredients of what has been dubbed the robbery of the century.

Ştefan Stoica, 14.08.2013, 13:19

The trial of the Romanians involved in the stealing of seven paintings from the Kunsthal Gallery in Rotterdam, which started on Tuesday, has already been postponed until September 10th, because of procedural flaws. Six people are accused of participation or accessory to what the media has dubbed the robbery of the century. On the night of October 15th 2012, famous works by painters such as Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Gaugain were stolen from the Dutch museum. The masterpieces were allegedly brought to Romania, where some of them were turned into ashes by the mother of the main suspect, as she herself testified.

The initial scenario, however, seems to be contradicted by the expertise carried out by experts with Romania’s National History Museum. According to their analysis, the ashes collected from the woman’s home are indeed consistent with burned paintings. Also, the nails found in the ash are an indication that the paintings were made earlier than late 19th century. Still, the Director of the Museum that analyzed the ash material has stated that nobody could firmly state that those were remnants of the stolen paintings. Actually, the defendants’ lawyers have contested the expertise conducted in Romania and have stated they want the evidence to be analyzed by the Louvre. The lawyers claim that their clients have told them that the paintings stolen from the Rotterdam Museum were not burned and that they are actually waiting for the right procedural framework to surrender them to Dutch authorities. According to the lawyer of the main suspect, the latter allegedly proposed a deal, under which he would surrender five paintings in exchange for a sentence that he would carry out in the Netherlands, where aggravated theft is not that severely punished.

However, the lawyer, who is a well known figure in Romania, could not state for sure that his client can really produce the five paintings. Even so, hopes that at least part of the stolen paintings have been saved from destruction are growing. On the other hand, the fate of another two paintings is still a mystery, and investigators fear that they have indeed been burned. This robbery also raises questions as to the way in which such valuable pieces, worth over 18 million Euros in total, were guarded at the Kunsthal Gallery in Rotterdam. The investigation started by the Dutch authorities is due to provide answers to these questions, as the Romanian lawyer has also stated. According to him, those found guilty of breaching security regulations would have to be punished just like the perpetrators proper. The robbery of the century thus promises good material for what could become the trial of the century.