are they sold? ever recovered? destroyed? how could someone sell a unique stolen painting..
2007-08-05 13:33:16 · 8 answers · asked by Sean 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Painting
A couple of scenario's.
1) Stolen on order. Somebody wants..say the Mona Lisa. It gets stolen and is displayed on the wall of the person that wants it. Actually happened On August 21st, 1911 and was 'returned' in November of 1913.
2) Ransom. Paintings get stolen and 'Unless you want to see them again you got to pay us $XXXXXXXX.
In 2000 36 paintings from the dutch painter Henk Helmantel were stolen from his own gallery and several demands for ransom were made. The paintings are back now and 5 arrests were made.
http://www.helmantel.nl/
3) Once stolen art is 'often' used as currency. A Rembrandt as payment for a few K of snow is not unheard of.
If by some chance stolen art gets into regular circulation it is found almost instantaneous as the art dealers want to keep their profession clean and have an excellent tracking system to keep track of the art they sell and its heritage.
http://www.interpol.int/Public/WorkOfArt/CDrom/Default.asp
http://www.artloss.com/
You would not expect it maybe but most stolen art is returned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_theft#Famous_cases_of_art_theft
Check this wiki list to see almost all famous thefts have been solved and the paintings returned.
2007-08-05 20:50:05 · answer #1 · answered by Puppy Zwolle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
every situation is different, as there are a number of art thefts each year; however, in short, yes, some are recovered. some are destroyed or purposely "lost" by the thieves. Some are put into long-term storage and locked up for dozens of years before anyone finds out where they are.
in response to selling stolen art...
it is very, very difficult today to sell stolen art in a legitimate transaction. most valuable art is sold through galleries, art dealers and auction houses. the higher the painting's worth, the more likely that the folks taking the painting into their establishment for sale will want to know the exact provenance of the artwork. they may even identify it immediately as a stolen work. however, stolen works are occasionally sold. when this is discovered, usually the original owners have rights to the artwork, and it is returned.
2007-08-05 20:47:50 · answer #2 · answered by sportguy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually they are put on the black market for art and sold in exchange for drugs or metals. After a while they usually come back to the regular market with some damage
2007-08-05 20:39:51 · answer #3 · answered by chanyart 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All these answers are taken from a movie. The only person buying stolen art is an undercover cop.
2014-04-07 14:14:43 · answer #4 · answered by Cindy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the crooks still have them, if you are refering to the robbery today. Hey theres people that would pay good money for those priceless works of art. All of the above. they can be sold destroyed or recovered
2007-08-05 20:42:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They will usually wind up in the collections of very rich collectors.
They can never be displayed in public, so they remain hidden behind locked doors for a generation or two
2007-08-05 20:36:43 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are usually sold to private collectors in the black market who are willing to pay the high price
2007-08-05 20:37:49 · answer #7 · answered by TL 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes rich people buy them and keep them hidden in their own private museums.
2007-08-05 20:35:52 · answer #8 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋