Stolen Picassos

Perhaps the person who stole the paintings (a woman, perhaps?)wants it for himself/herself. Or, like the Thomas Crown Affair film, the individual did it for the challenge.

Loved that movie, You remember which painting the thief coveted most? Not Picasso. I think you’re probably right. Surely when people gaze on some of the masters at a museum where you need to elbow for a vantage point, the thought must cross one’s mind, wouldn’t it be nice to sit in your own living room and meditate upon a great painting for hours on end? Some paintings beg for that sort of communion of the spirit. Maybe some thefts do occur for that reason - and yes, I had considered designating the alleged thief as him/her - but I didn’t feel like doing the research (hello research girl!) about how many major art thefts have been carried out by women (not including Hollywood movies, of course). Maybe the women were all the ones who never got caught? That would be amusing, but honestly, I think at the moment major art theft is still a ‘man’s game’. Sorry if that sounds sexist - but I’m trying to be realistic. If any female art thieves out there want to prove me wrong, by all means, feel free to post!

[...] You’ve got to love the French police when it comes to tracking down art thieves. It could have been a scene form a Pink Panther movie with all the elements of a thrilling caper. You’ll remember that back in February I posted regarding the theft of two Picasso paintings from the Paris apartment of Picasso’s granddaughter who lives on Rue Grenelle. The two paintings, Maya a la Poupee, 1938 and Portrait of Jacqueiine 1961 could have brought in 50 Million Euros at a Sotheby’s auction, but for these two thieves the paintings were worth zip. Major art dealers had already been alerted, so finding a buyer for these hot items would have been tough. [...]