Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners
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- $30.99
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- $30.99
Publisher Description
In 1994 two important paintings by J.M.W. Turner—then valued at twenty-four million pounds—were stolen from a German public gallery while on loan from Tate Britain. In this vivid, personal account, Sandy Nairne who was then Director of Programmes at the Tate and became centrally involved in the pursuit of the paintings and the negotiations for their return, retells this complex, 8-year, cloak-and-dagger story, which finally concluded in 2002 with the pictures returning to public display at the Tate.
In addition to this thrilling narrative, Nairne unravels stories of other high-value art thefts, puzzling what motivates a thief to steal a well-known work of art that cannot be sold, even on the black market. Nairne also examines the role of art theft within the larger underworld of international looting and illicit deals among art and antique collectors. The art heist, of course, is a popular theme of crime novels and films, and Nairne considers these depictions as well, investigating the imaginative construction of the art thief, the specialist detective, and the mysterious collector.
Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners is a compelling, real-life detective story that will keep both art and mystery lovers eagerly turning pages.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this entertaining, thought-provoking book, Nairne (Director of London's National Portrait Gallery and former Director of Programmes at Tate Britain) details the saga of recovering two stolen paintings (valued at 12 million each) by the early 19th century English artist J.M.W. Turner. Stolen in Frankfurt, Germany in July 1994 while on loan from the Tate, the paintings were held hostage by thieves who demanded ransom money. Nairne explains that such behavior is typical in art thefts, with the collector thief of The Thomas Crown Affair more common in fiction than in real life. Over eight years, the thieves negotiated with Nairne through intermediaries, with cooperative effort by the German and British governments helping to ensure the paintings were returned to the Tate. Nairne documents the complex legal issues involved in negotiating a price with the criminals and then financing the deal, while also discussing the ethical issue posed when criminals (who are never brought to justice) are paid off through third-party intermediaries.
