Arrest Made in Botched Andy Warhol Art Heist
Dutch authorities have apprehended a 23-year-old man in connection with a failed art heist that targeted a gallery in the southern region of the Netherlands. The incident involved the theft of four screen prints by the renowned American pop artist Andy Warhol.
The arrest comes in the wake of a break-in at the MPV Gallery last week, where thieves forcefully entered by blowing open the door. During this audacious theft, two pieces from Warhol’s celebrated series featuring the former queens of the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, and Eswatini (previously known as Swaziland) were taken. Additionally, two other prints were found severely damaged and were left behind on the street as the perpetrators fled the scene.
Gallery owner Mark Peet Visser described the early Friday morning heist in the town of Oisterwijk as “amateurish,” noting that the entire event was captured on the gallery’s security cameras. He expressed concern over the safety of the artworks, stating, “It is heartbreaking to see such valuable pieces targeted in such a reckless manner.”
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The stolen artworks, which include prints of Margrethe II of Denmark as part of Warhol’s Reigning Queens series from 1985, remain unaccounted for. In a brief statement, police did not confirm whether the missing artworks were recovered during a series of raids conducted in Oisterwijk and nearby towns, including one in Belgium. A police spokeswoman declined to provide further details regarding the investigation.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed in accordance with Dutch privacy laws, was apprehended in Berkel-Enschot, located just six kilometers (approximately four miles) from Oisterwijk. Meanwhile, Visser reported that the stolen pieces have yet to be located, and a professional restorer is currently evaluating the two damaged prints to determine if they can be salvaged.
