«This is good, I went!» ... On American
ARTinvestment.RU   12 сентября 2008

Department of Police of Los Angeles announced the theft of more than a dozen paintings, including works by Marc Chagall, Diego Rivera and other famous artists. The total cost of these works that were stolen from the house of the collector is several milli

Police in Los Angeles announced the theft of more than a dozen paintings worth several million dollars that was stolen from the house of a collector literally in broad daylight. Stolen paintings, including works of such famous artists as Marc Chagall (Marc Chagall) and Diego Rivera (Diego Rivera), declared in the international search .

Thieves prokralis elderly couple's house in Los andzhelesskom area Ensino Saturday morning, August 23. They entered through the back door, which was not locked up: presumably, it left open in the house worked for several years, maid, who briefly went to the store. At the time of the crime of the hosts were in another part of the house and heard nothing. By the time the maid returned, from two adjacent rooms disappeared more than a dozen paintings. To steal the collection to the collection which lasted more than half a century, took schitanye minutes.

As long as until the end, it is not clear whether the acting in the house, the thief or thieves alone was slightly, but the police had already announced a reward of $ 200 thousand dollars to anyone who will provide any information that will help find the stolen painting. The names of the victims and the exact location of the crimes are not reported. Representatives of the law argue that the fact that the victims - wealthy, older people and the authorities are unwilling to disclose information about them publicly.

Among the missing works of the police calls the following picture: «farmers» Marc Chagall, «Mexican peasant» Diego Rivera, «Kubistichesky Still Life» Arshila Slides (Arshile Gorky), «A figure with a dog» Emil Nolde (Emil Nolde), «The end of the meeting» Lionel Feyningera (Lyonel Feininger), «elderly lady with a dog» and «Woman in red» Haim Soutine (Chaim Soutine),« Alicia Alanova »Kees van Dongen (Kees van Dongen), untitled canvas by Hans Hofmann (Hans Hofmann). And connoisseurs of art, and the City acknowledge that the theft of the largest in the history of Los Angeles.

Richard Rice (Richard Rice), which is already more than twenty years a senior consultant at Gallerie Michael in Beverly Hills, said that the value of the stolen paintings range from 800 thousand to four million dollars. The most expensive, he finds a portrait of Alicia Alanovoy hand Kees van Dongen. Rice said that all the stolen works - the work world, but noted that they did not refer to the mainstream: «Most people, if they have the taste and means to enable them to prefer to collect Renoir, Degas and Salvador Dali». The victim he described as a collection of several specific and highly refined, such work can only be purchased only a few galleries in New York, London, Vienna, Paris and Zurich. Rice also told that the collectors from Los Angeles, with few exceptions, unlike their counterparts in New York do not like to publish or exhibit his work: «They are not one of those people who break the doors and invite all to come and see. Therefore, what has happened, especially shocking. I am very saddened that the people gathered this collection and lost it in the blink of an eye ».

legitimate question arises: what happens to stolen works on. And the police and art experts agree that to sell the painting to the real value would be impossible: the descriptions and photos are saved in a database of stolen works of Art Loss Register, in the lists of the FBI and Interpol, as well as posted on various websites. Police Detective Donald Gritsik (Donald Hrycyk), which is investigating crimes in the arts already fourteen years old, said that most people who buy the work of such high prices, certainly interested in their origins. A similar view holds, and Richard Rice: «If you trace the history of kidnappings over the past ten years, the majority of the stolen works of this level have been returned to the owners because they were difficult to sell».

According to FBI estimates, the theft of works of art has become a real world industry, the turnover which amounts to 6 billion dollars a year. Christopher Marinello (Christopher Marinello), executive director of Art Loss Register, said that most «abducted» artist is Pablo Picasso, but thieves often choose less well-known authors, believing that their work is easier to sell. In general, the fate of the stolen paintings depends on the kidnappers. Ordinary thieves, if you have a masterpiece, trying to sell it as soon as possible and withdraw from a suspect. A more imaginative focus go to the museums and the exclusive collection in search of paintings, which then sell to other collectors or specialized criminal groups. Criminals often sell the stolen works of art on the black market, using them as collateral for money laundering, arms trafficking and drugs. According to Marinello, there are two options for the development of the situation. The stolen work, or will very quickly - within a few months or a year or «go underground and vsplyvut» no sooner than a few tens of years.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Sources: latimes.com , mercurynews.com , artinfo.com , artinvestment.ru