4 ms·

Stealing Valuable Art

19 points by daddy_drank 6y ago

ponker 6y ago
I always wanted to steal a valuable artwork as a kid, and hang it on my wall. I wasn't really into art, and still am not. I wasn't looking for profit. I just wanted to defeat a large system and walk out with something that was "my little secret," that I could look at every morning and think of how I outwitted the system. Still a thought I have at the back of my head sometimes. Obviously wouldn't do it.
- boreas 6y ago
  You might be interested in the novel "The Goldfinch". It's pretty relevant to this post, and somewhat relevant to your comment. But it isn't a heist so to speak.
  - ponker 6y ago
    I read it and hated it. What a lot of words for such little plot motion
- mci 6y ago
  In 2000, Claude Monet's Beach in Pourville was stolen from the National Museum in Poznań, Poland. The police suspected a steal-to-order gang. Six years later, an unemployed bricklayer was fingerprinted for not paying alimony to his ex-wife. His fingerprints matched those left in the museum, and the police found the painting behind a wardrobe in his apartment. He told the court that he fell in love with the painting when visiting the museum and wanted to have it all to himself[0]. [0] https://kultura.poznan.pl/mim/kultura/en/news/how-did-beach-in-pourville-get-stolen,152528.html https://kultura.poznan.pl/mim/kultura/en/news/how-did-beach-...
- HAL9OOO 6y ago
  Reminds me of ‘The Thomas Crowne Affair’
zedcob 6y ago
https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220 https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220
- dang 6y ago
  Changed from https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php. Thanks!
boffinism 6y ago
For those confused, the link should be: https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220 https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220
- dang 6y ago
  Changed now. Thanks!
Gys 6y ago
A while ago there was a post of a Newyorker story about a French art thief. I really enjoyed reading it. In case somone missed it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855717 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855717 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/the-french-burglar-who-pulled-off-his-generations-biggest-art-heist https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/the-french-bur...
dmckeon 6y ago
> many high-value art thefts in the past ten to fifteen years has been the potential for stolen works to be used as collateral linked to drug deals. This is alluded to, twice, but not explained. Is this a form of money laundering, or a deal at a distance - contraband is delivered in country A, artwork in country B? I don’t see how “collateral” plays a part, unless one party “loans” drugs in exchange for artwork, and the second party pays off the loan and recovers the artwork after selling the drugs onward.

19 points by daddy_drank 6y ago

I always wanted to steal a valuable artwork as a kid, and hang it on my wall. I wasn't really into art, and still am not. I wasn't looking for profit. I just wanted to defeat a large system and walk out with something that was "my little secret," that I could look at every morning and think of how I outwitted the system. Still a thought I have at the back of my head sometimes. Obviously wouldn't do it.

boreas 6y ago
You might be interested in the novel "The Goldfinch". It's pretty relevant to this post, and somewhat relevant to your comment. But it isn't a heist so to speak.
- ponker 6y ago
  I read it and hated it. What a lot of words for such little plot motion
mci 6y ago
In 2000, Claude Monet's Beach in Pourville was stolen from the National Museum in Poznań, Poland. The police suspected a steal-to-order gang. Six years later, an unemployed bricklayer was fingerprinted for not paying alimony to his ex-wife. His fingerprints matched those left in the museum, and the police found the painting behind a wardrobe in his apartment. He told the court that he fell in love with the painting when visiting the museum and wanted to have it all to himself[0]. [0] https://kultura.poznan.pl/mim/kultura/en/news/how-did-beach-in-pourville-get-stolen,152528.html https://kultura.poznan.pl/mim/kultura/en/news/how-did-beach-...
HAL9OOO 6y ago
Reminds me of ‘The Thomas Crowne Affair’

zedcob 6y ago

https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220 https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220

dang 6y ago
Changed from https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php. Thanks!

boffinism 6y ago

For those confused, the link should be: https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220 https://www.delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=4220

dang 6y ago
Changed now. Thanks!

Gys 6y ago

A while ago there was a post of a Newyorker story about a French art thief. I really enjoyed reading it. In case somone missed it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855717 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18855717 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/the-french-burglar-who-pulled-off-his-generations-biggest-art-heist https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/the-french-bur...

dmckeon 6y ago

> many high-value art thefts in the past ten to fifteen years has been the potential for stolen works to be used as collateral linked to drug deals. This is alluded to, twice, but not explained. Is this a form of money laundering, or a deal at a distance - contraband is delivered in country A, artwork in country B? I don’t see how “collateral” plays a part, unless one party “loans” drugs in exchange for artwork, and the second party pays off the loan and recovers the artwork after selling the drugs onward.