stolen art – Michael McGaulley

Some folks become connoisseurs of fine paintings. Since I started writing my thriller, Infinite Doublecross The South of France: Art theft, art forgery, and artful duplicity I seem to have become a connoisseur of fine art thefts. Here’s a “good” theft I’d forgotten about.

The sub-head for a recent article in The Daily Beast says it all: “As the world celebrated the dawn of a new millennium in 2000, a thief broke intro Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum and stole a Cezanne painting. It, and the thief, have never been found.”

You’ll find the article by Allison McNearney at http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-cezanne-stolen-in-the-perfect-art-heist-for-a-new-millennium

At that time, the painting was estimated at $4.8. Probably would sell for a lot more now . . . IF, that is, it could be offered on the market. Who would buy a stolen painting? Answer: Lots of bad guys (as we’ve discussed in this blog previously,as well as in more detail in Infinite Doublecross).

The New York Times today ran a long article, “Has the Art Market Become an Unwitting Partner in Crime?” It looks at the intertwining roles of the super-rich, art thieves and forgers, money launderers, and shady art dealers–almost sounds like those bad folks got ideas from my international crime thriller, INFINITE DOUBLECROSS.

One pull-out: “The art market is an ideal playing ground for money laundering.” Another: “Beyond the question of money-laundering, some experts say the anonymity of buyers and sellers hinders their ability to track ownership, a key element in establishing a work’s authenticity.”