Book weighing over 200kg illustrated by Dalí and Cocteau stolen in Auvergne
On the night of 4 to 5 October, the "Book of the Apocalypse", a 210‑kilo volume with works by Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau and Bernard Buffet, was stolen from an art centre in Issoire, Puy‑de‑Dôme.
The Book of the Apocalypse, an original and unique copy weighing in at over 200 kilograms, was stolen from a private museum in Issoire, Auvergne, overnight from Sunday to Monday. Commissioned by publisher Joseph Forêt and designed as a total work of art inspired by the Apocalypse of Saint John, this monumental piece was produced between 1958 and 1961.
The creation involved seven writers and seven painters, including renowned artists such as Ossip Zadkine, Léonard Foujita, Jean Cocteau, and Jean Giono. Salvador Dalí, among the contributors, crafted the cover using the lost-wax casting technique.
After an extensive exhibition spanning nearly 150 shows globally between 1961 and 1972, the book fell into obscurity for several years. It was eventually purchased in 2003 by Christian Karoutzos, CEO of an art restoration company in Issoire, who displayed the cover and several parchments at his contemporary art center in the town until autumn.
The owner lamented to ICI Pays d’Auvergne, describing the work as a cathedral-like masterpiece and unique in the world. He expressed deep sorrow, stating that France had been robbed of its heritage.
Issoire’s mayor, Bertrand Barraud, emphasized the incalculable loss and described the theft as the work of a lifetime. The investigation into the theft has been initiated by the Clermont-Ferrand gendarmerie’s research unit. The book, estimated to be worth several million euros, brings to mind similar incidents, such as the jewel heist at the Louvre in October 2025, where thieves managed to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros.
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