Stolen Art Watch, Magritte Olympia Recovered

Thieves bring back stolen painting Magritte: unsaleable

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 6:47 p.m.

Thieves on a very reckless way a painting by Magritte had robbed, have brought the work back because they were not sold. Too famous.

René Magritte, Olympia

The painting "Olympia" of the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte is returned because the thieves were able to work not realizing. This has janpiet Callens, arts business consultant, said.

On Thursday, September 24, 2009 the work was stolen by unknown persons from the former home of the painter, the Esseghemstraat in Jette. The house, after the death of the painter was transformed into a museum, got the visit of two thieves who were only interested in that one oil painting. They threatened staff with a weapon, took the work of 60 to 80 inches along with the car and left.

Rather than return to destroy

The theft was well received. Perhaps that is why the work was never sold: it was too familiar. "I was contacted by someone who wanted to return the painting," explains Callens out. "The work was unsaleable. And then they wanted rather than returning it to have it destroyed," it sounds.

"Two weeks ago, I was able to return the painting to the federal judicial police in Brussels, which has performed at a crime scene. Meanwhile, the work returned to the owner."

Nothing is known about the thieves. Callens suspects that the person who contacted them with the facts, nothing to do with it. Magritte painted "Olympia" in 1948 in his house in Esseghemstraat, between 1930 and 1954 half of his works saw the daylight.

Naked woman with a shell

The work, which a naked woman with a shell suggests, was sold by an art dealer in New York, after which it disappeared into private collections. The oil painting was only in 1980 to the outside world is shown.

The curator of the Magritte in Jette house was in 2002 by a patron on the racks. The value of "Olympia" is at least 700,000 euros. (Reuters / EH / EE)

Thieves Magritte painting stolen bring back: unsaleable Thursday 05 January 2012 to 18u47 thieves who on a particularly reckless way a painting of Magritte had robbed, the work now brought back because they were not sold. To famous. /René Magritte, Olympia the painting "Olympia" of the Belgian surrealist René Magritte is returned because the thieves could not create the work realisation. That has Janpiet Callens, consultant in art Affairs, declared. On Thursday 24 september 2009, the work by unknowns stolen from the former home of the painter, in the Esseghemstraat in Jette. The House, which after the death of the painter was transformed into a museum, then gave up the visit of two thieves who were only interested in that one oil painting. They threatened the staff with a weapon, took the work of 60 to 80 inches and left by car. Reduce rather than destroy the theft received wide resonance. ...

Art Hostage Comments:

Word on the street, The 1948 painting "Olympia" by René Magritte was handed back in excellent condition after, a $100,000 ransom was paid by the picture's insurer.