summer ARTinvestment.RU talked about American FBI agent Robert Wittmann (Robert Wittman), under guise of investigating the theft of works of art . During his long career Wittmann was able to unleash a lot of high-profile crimes, including stealing paintings by Jan Bruegel ( Jan Brueghel) and the French Impressionists of the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice . Recently, the agent announced his imminent retirement. But that does not mean that the kidnappers of pictures can sleep peacefully: Wittmann come to replace the whole squad.

Robert Wittmann now works in Philadelphia. He was born in 1955 in Baltimore, where his parents kept antique store. Perhaps it would work was not the joy, if he did not like art, but, fortunately, it is not. Favorite artists FBI agent - the French Impressionists. Most of all he loves painting Monet (Claude Monet), as well as landscapes Renoir (Pierre-Auguste Renoir). In addition, Wittmann respects the creative work of masters of modernism, in particular, Pablo Picasso (Pablo Picasso).

Lotter Herb (Herb Lottier), head of the Security Service of Philadelphia Art Museum and a former police captain, said Wittmann as a very fun and pleasant person. «He knows how to entertain as well as to investigate the crime, he has both produced excellent - praises agent Lotter. - He has the right views on life».

Wittmann goes to a pension, but the rest on our laurels is not going to. He plans to work as a consultant to companies involved in the security of works of art. In Wittmann FBI came in 1988, and soon began to reveal stolen cultural property. That year, a thief has stolen from the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Pennsylvania State its chief exhibit - a crystal ball, previously owned by the Dowager Empress Tsysi. In 1988, the robbers also suffered from the Museum Rodin (Auguste Rodin) in Philadelphia: anyone ordered from sculpture «The man with a broken nose», created by the master in 1860-ies. Later work found under the water heater on a street in the city.

After Wittmann helped found both the subject matter of his superiors in the FBI decided that it will have to instruct him to disclose thefts of works of art. Bureau of art education has paid the agent, and now he travels to lecture throughout the world. Wittmann serves museums, art institutions and law enforcement agencies. He participated in the annual conference of the American Association of Museum and at the International Conference on the Protection of Cultural Property in Cusco, Peru.

Many investigations have been involved Wittmann others. Once the agent has participated in the capture of the robbers, who in December 2008 broke into the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, and stole two paintings by Renoir and a famous self-portrait by Rembrandt (Rembrandt), estimated at 36 million dollars. The team of Swedish and U.S. agents under the guise of meeting with criminals in a hotel in Copenhagen, where they managed to get hold of the Great Dutch canvas. They arrested four criminals, two of whom were Iraqis, one - a native of Gambia, and another - a Swede.

Many of the Wittmann asked why an American FBI helps foreign governments to search for their cultural treasures. According to the agent, not only that, with international representatives of the Bureau of Investigation can get links abroad and establish a strong relationship with law enforcement in other countries. «The art belongs to the world», - said Wittmann. Through relationships that knotted agents investigating the theft of works of art, it becomes easier to cooperate in the disclosure of other crimes not involving stolen cultural property.

Sometimes, opening a theft, the agents discovered a lot more stolen items than they had hoped to find. Once armed robbers raided one of the Museum of Zimbabwe, which were kept tribal masks, the age of majority which had for hundreds of years. The investigation led agents ... in Poland. A group of American and Polish agents arranged to introduce an operation in Warsaw, where Wittmann has played the role of African art dealer. Agents able to arrest the criminals and to find a secret, which surfaced objects from various museums and galleries around the world - masks, precious stones, elephant tusks and various items of ivory.

Among the most high-profile victories Wittmann - the disclosure of the abduction of one of 14 copies of the first edition of the Bill of Rights. In 2003, the family, which is an invaluable document more than a hundred years, has proposed a new National Constitution Center to buy it. During the authentication process, the FBI found that the Bill of Rights was stolen. In 1865, he was kidnapped from the town hall in North Carolina one of the soldiers of General William Sherman Tekumse (William Tecumseh Sherman). The owners of the document in a long time tried to sell it in North Carolina, but state authorities have indicated that they would not buy stolen goods.

Now in stolen cultural property is in fourth place in the list of most popular international crimes - after drug trafficking, arms smuggling and money laundering. In recent years, art has added greatly in price, and, of course, the number of those wishing to warm your hands on this has increased significantly. Trafficking in stolen cultural property - international business. The paintings stolen in Europe, can «come» in Japan or in America. Theft of works of art is not easy to calculate - even if the customs officers will be some questions, cheat always lied, which bought the work at the flea market at present beloved wife. A long time these crimes were fighting one Wittmann, while FBI officials finally realized the need to create a team of agents investigating the theft of works of art. In 2005 was formed «art squad» FBI of 13 people, headed by Wittmann.

Although the famous agent, and leaves shortly to retire, he is going to be helping investigators. Indeed, such a professional, as it is very difficult to find: Wittmann, not only is an absolute professional in the field of investigation of robberies, he also understands the fine arts. Having to retire, Wittmann going to write a book and spend more time with his wife and three children. But even now he would not allow himself to photograph. Nine out of ten investigations, in which he participates, under the guise of work meant - and yet never, thank God, not the criminals succeeded his «bite».

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: artdaily.org , bbc.co.uk , artinvestment.ru

PS On this topic, you can also read:
Ten most wanted works of art
FBI agents under the guise of investigating the theft of works of art