Priceless Renaissance Paintings Stolen From Italian Museum
Authorities say thieves made off with four artworks by Sicilian master Antonello da Messina in under five minutes.
Thieves stole four paintings by Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina from the Museo Interdisciplinare Regionale in Sicily on the night of August 15. The stolen works include three panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych and a double-sided panel of The Madonna and Child, all dating back to the 15th century. According to Le Monde English, the thieves removed all five panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych from their frame but abandoned two behind a wall while fleeing.
The stolen artworks are of "extraordinary value" and have been estimated to be worth €70 million to €80 million, as per an art expert. The San Gregorio Polyptych is a painting divided into various panels, with at least five sections originally. It had been damaged in an earthquake in 1908. The Madonna and Child painting was sold at a Christie's auction for over $300,000 in 2003.
The Italian culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, expressed his "dismay and regret" at the theft, while the mayor of Messina, Federico Basile, called it a "heinous criminal act". A local councillor, Enzo Caruso, suggested that the recent purchase of one of Messina's artworks by the Italian state for $21 million may have put the museum on the radar of the thieves.
Brief written by urgent.news from Hyperallergic, Le Monde English, ABC News AU, CBS News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
