Reward Offered for Stolen Art Cache

I have written about how only dumb thieves steal art in the past but it their just doesn’t seem to be a shortage of dumb crooks in this world. The fact that artwork is recognizable, identifiable or harder to sell than other things does not stop those with a low IQ and the irrational thought that they could make quick money. Now police in Los Angeles are offering a reward and looking for the person or people that were dumb enough to steal a cache of specialized artwork that included paintings by Gorky, Soutine, Chagall and Diego Rivera. Experts have said that some of the paintings are worth more than $4 million.

The owners of the stolen art cache were in another part of the house when this theft occurred and police speculate that the thieves must have worked very quickly to remove the paintings by a side door. They also believe that the thieves may have been familiar with the couple’s routine. The sophistication and the smartness of the art thieves themselves will be evident when, not if, the artwork is recovered. The artwork will be recovered either at a flea market or when someone tries to sell it in Europe ten years from now. The authorities have contacted all of the major auction houses, show promoters, art dealers and others to be on the lookout for the paintings. A $200,000 reward has been offered.

Redoute Rose Lithographs at Outasite!! Collectibles

Pierre-Joseph Redouté was a Belgian painter and botanist born in 1759. He is world renowned for his painting of flowers, but most especially his paintings of roses. Redouté painted the gardens at Petite Trianon of Marie Antoinette because he was her official court artist and was part of a large cultural and scientific movement in Paris in the late 18th century through the early 19th century. During this time, many folio books were published with colored plates using offset lithography. These lithographs are well sought after by collectors and designers and can make a great addition to any shabby chic room.

Norman Rockwell Lithographs & Prints at Outasite!! Collectibles

One of the greatest painters in America is the renowned 20th Century artist Norman Rockwell. A child prodigy, Rockwell was first commissioned to paint four Christmas cards before he turned the ripe old age of 16. He then continued his illustrious career by being named Art Director of Boys Life and thus began his pursuit in illustration. After moving to New Rochelle, New York, he opened a studio and created illustrations for Life Magazine, Literary Digest and Country Gentleman, but his career skyrocketed when at 22 years old he painted his first cover for the Saturday Evening Post. Outasite!! Collectibles carries a nice variety of vintage Norman Rockwell prints & lithographs.

Maxwell Parrish - Photo-Realistic Paintings

One of the best known and most preferred collectible artists of the early Twentieth Century is Maxwell Parrish. He is best known as a master in photo-realistic paintings genre. His painting “Daybreak” sold in 1996 for more than $4 million. Parrish was so popular in the 1920’s that it has been estimated that one of his prints adorned a quarter of all American homes.

Parrish prints are a hot commodity even today. The print on the left titled, “Boy on a Swing,” in its original frame was recently sold on eBay for just over $182. Other collectible works by this artist include the calendars that he created for Edison Mazda and illustrations that he created for different publications in his younger days. Mr. Parrish was born in 1870 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, retired in 1960, and passed away in 1966.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives August 18, 2005 . . . .