An Artful Heist

"Woman--Ochre"
40 x 30, Oil on Canvas
William de Kooning, 1955

Who doesn't love a good whodunnit? The latest high profile art heist revolves around a quiet, unassuming couple who lived in a small town in New Mexico. Mr. and Mrs. Alter both worked in public schools for most of their careers.  And yet when she died in 2017, what was found lurking behind their bedroom door, but a stolen William de Kooning painting, valued at a hefty $160 Million. Hmmmm.

The painting was stolen over thirty years ago from the Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson. A man and woman came to the Museum just before opening, and while the woman engaged the guard in conversation, the man went upstairs. When he came down, they left quickly. The guard, sensing something amiss, went upstairs, and discovered that the de Kooning had been sliced out of its frame. This painting was a prized part of the Museum's collection, because de Kooning was a leading figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement. Abstract Expressionism emerged in the mid-20th century, and proved to be a defining element in American art history. It was distinguished by very dynamic, gestural (some might even say "wild") marks and brushstrokes, and by abstraction of the subject matter--both of which are evident in the stolen painting. 

Museum Officials examine the stolen painting

Decades elapsed with no clues of the painting's whereabouts. Then Mrs. Alter died. An estate sale was held, and an antiques dealer bought the contents of the Alter home for $2,000. As soon as the dealer displayed the "cool, mid-century painting" in his shop, customers starting remarking that it looked like a de Kooning. The antiques dealer did a little research, learned about the earlier theft, and called the Museum. The rest of the story fell into place quickly--the Museum authenticated the painting, the dealer returned it to the Museum, and the FBI began investigating. 

The FBI has declined comment, since the investigation is still pending. But--evidence has surfaced that the Alters were in Tucson the night before the theft; sunglasses and a scarf matching those worn by the woman thief have been found in Mrs. Alter's belongings; and the Alters drove a car like the one described by the guard as the getaway car. And there's more. One detail I found especially creepy is that Mr. Alter published a short story in which two people stole a valuable emerald from an art museum. The story ends with the emerald on display in an empty room, and this exclamation: "And two pairs of eyes are there, exclusively, to see it!". Does this give anybody else the absolute conviction that the Alters were the thieves??

Stolen de Kooning painting hiding behind the Alters' bedroom door

An art heist like this raises intriguing questions. There's virtually no way to sell a high profile  stolen work on the legitimate market. And you can't exactly show it off to your friends. The thief must act for the pure thrill of the conquest, or for the pure artistic enjoyment of the painting. Or perhaps for the power trip of having exclusive viewing rights. It does set one to wondering "Why?". 

To read more about the modus operandi and motivation of art thieves, here's a fascinating article from The Atlantic. Puzzle on...