Thursday, January 29, 2009

Stolen Art Watch, Harry Winston Thieves Rob French President's Ex-Wife !!


Robbers nab jewels from French president's ex-wife

PARIS (AP) — It was a classic burglary in a classy Paris suburb, except that the thieves who made off with jewels and valuables worth 500,000 euros ($650,000) had robbed the ex-wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy, police said Thursday.

Cecilia Attias, the former Cecilia Sarkozy, was not home in the chic suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine when the robbers broke into her first-floor apartment this month, a police official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the matter publicly.

Cecilia's husband, Richard Attias, a prominent public relations agent, lodged a complaint with police. Neither of them was in France when the theft occurred.

The former French first lady left Sarkozy in May 2005 for Attias, but returned to Sarkozy's side in the run-up to France's presidential elections in the spring of 2007. Their divorce was announced in October of that year, ending an 11-year marriage.
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Art Hostage comments:
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Dragon Mikic and the Balkan Bandits may have gone too far this time ?
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Art Hostage has the perfect solution for French President Nick Sarkozy, Carla could win some credit as well.
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First contact Jean Marie Messier, he has contacts within the underworld of high value stolen art and antiquities, why Jean Marie Messier bought some of the illicit smuggled antiquities from Balkan Bandits that were discovered in the Paris home of Jean Marie Messier.
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Jean Marie Messier can then track down the stolen jewellery and quietly buy them back and quietly hand them to French President Nick Sarkozy, who in turn can hand them to his ex-wife, gaining some peace and quiet, better still Nick Sarkozy can make this recovery plan look like it was organised by new wife Carla and Carla can personally hand back the stolen jewels.
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Jean Marie Messier gains some credit and any past misdeed's can be forgiven.
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However, Dragon Mikic may require a pardon for past misdeeds rather any money from Jean Marie Messier for returning the stolen Jewels taken from Cecilia Sarkozy.
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After this deliciously dishonest deal, Art Hostage would like to be rewarded by Jean Marie Messier quietly returning what stolen paintings he has from the Gardner museum in Boston, no fuss, just contact Anthony Amore and let him know where to collect the artworks.
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Anthony Amore

Anthony Amore, Director of Security, Isabella Stewart Gardner
Museum, Boston, 617 278 5114 work,
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or
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to be continued............................................

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Stolen Art Watch, French Art Dealer's Stolen Art in Play, Rodin For Sale !!!


Remember last March when a French Art Dealer was robbed of numerous high value paintings and a Rodin bronze sulpture ?

You know, the Art Dealer who was also robbed back in 2004 ?

There was not much publicity about either raid other than a few lines in the media, see below:

LE PECQ, France—About 30 paintings by such masters as Monet, Cezanne, Corot, and Sisley were stolen from a French antiques dealer's home near Paris, reports Agence France-Presse.

Five masked and armed thieves broke into the home in Le Pecq early on Monday and took the paintings as well as a Rodin sculpture. They then made off in an SUV that was later found burned in a nearby wooded area.

The dealer was previously robbed in 2004, but the works stolen then were recovered.

Well, whispers have it some of the stolen art, maybe the Rodin sculpture could be in play, could even be in America, although deal may be in France/Europe ???

The picture in not clear at this stage but as it unravals I will keep you posted.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Stolen Art Watch, Homesick Cavalier !!


Remember this painting, above, stolen from the New South Wales Gallery, Sydney, Australia ???


Back-story: http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/a-cavalier-frame-of-mind/2007/10/12/1191696171884.html?page=fullpage

Enquires continue into this Art Loss !!
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Art Hostage made enquires as to the status of the stolen Cavalier painting back in the summer of 2008.
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My findings were the Cavalier is now owned by the New South Wales Govt insurance arm and will not be returned to the NSW Gallery in Sydney if it is recovered.
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The New South Wales Gallery was paid out in full for the loss of the Cavalier and has since replaced it with other artworks.
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The man charged with recovering the stolen Cavalier is called Michael Maher, an ex-Sydney cop who now runs his own company.
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Art Hostage enquired if there was any reward offered or if there would be monies paid if Art Hostage took on the recovery of the stolen Cavalier.
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Michael Maher replied in no uncertain terms there was no reward offered and no money for expenses.
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Seems Michael Maher wants to keep all the money for himself and expects those who help track down this stolen painting to do so for nothing.
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However, I do give Michael Maher credit for being honest, if a little greedy.
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There you have it folks, if you help recover the stolen Cavalier you will not get any money, not even a thank-you.
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If you offer help and then try to back out before recovery you will be arrested and threatened with prosecution, especially if you provide proof of life, thereby demonstrating a degree of control.
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Still, if money is not your motive contact Michael Maher below:
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MICHAEL MAHER ASSOCIATES PTY. LIMITED
PH: 9977 1544 FAX: 9977 1983
Sydney Australia

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Stolen Art Watch, Civil Unrest, Art Theft, its a War 2009




According to the Twentse Courant Tubantia, thieves broke into a villa in Almelo earlier this week and made off with six paintings estimated to be worth one million euros. Three of the stolen art works by Jan Sluijters. Police have confirmed the report in the Twentse newspaper, but have refused to identify the other three artists or how much the paintings are worth. A police spokesperson said the stolen artworks are extremely valuable but they cannot comment further as the case is being investigated. The paintings belong to a private collector who requested a media blackout on the theft.

The Twentse paper says three of the stolen paintings are works by Jan Slujters, 1881-1957, a Dutch artist famous for his portraits of women. Sluijters, frequently spelt 'Sluyters' in English, was a leading proponent of various post-impressionistic movements in the Netherlands. In 1906 he won the Prix de Rome, the most important Dutch art award. The prize include a grant that allowed him to study abroad for four years.

In Paris, he was influenced by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin. Later influences include Vincent van Gogh and Fauvism. He experimented with many styles, including Abstract Expressionism and Cubism. The exact size of his oeuvre is not known but 1650 works in oil have been catalogued. He painted nudes, still lifes and portraits.

Search Expanded for Art Stolen from Berlin Gallery

Police widened their search Sunday for 30 works of art, including prints by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, that were stolen from a Berlin gallery on New Year's Eve.

A police spokeswoman said authorities in other countries had been asked to look out for the missing sculptures and etchings, worth an estimated 180,000 euros ($250,000).
They were stolen from the Fasanengalerie, a private gallery in the fashionable Charlottenburg district of western Berlin.

The missing works include Picasso's 1947 Profil au Fond Noir and Nude in a Rocking Chair (1913) by Matisse as well as a sculpture weighing around 100 kilograms.

The works were on loan to the gallery and due to be shown in an exhibition scheduled to open mid-January. Police believe the thieves will try to sell the works on the international market.

Art Hostage comments:

There is an interesting explanation to the Dutch art theft, above, I will go further when it is safe to do so.

Berlin art theft, some prints have been tubed up and are on their way to Miami for the January art fairs.

2009 will be remembered as the year of civil unrest and art theft will rise accordingly.

Sorry to my readers for not being at my toxic best but events have tempered my toxic expressions for now.

Good news is Art Hostage will be back to his usual toxic best very very soon.

For those of you wondering about the identity of Art Hostage, drop me an e-mail and I will gladly give you my CV and background.

To those who may have helpful knowledge about the whereabouts of the elusive Stolen Gardner art from Boston.
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If you want a positive outcome consult Art Hostage first and foremost, why, well if you proceed without considering the advice of Art Hostage you will not get any reward and will almost certainly be arrested and charged.

So, don't complain if you get stung by authorities concerning the Gardner art if you proceed without consulting Art Hostage, you have been warned.