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| Guercino. Stolen, 2014. by Travis Simpkins |
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Guercino Masterpiece: Stolen on August 10, 2014
by Travis Simpkins
At some point during the
night of Sunday August 10, 2014, a well-known work by Guercino was
stolen from the Church of San Vincenzo in Modena, Italy. Painted in
1639, Madonna and Saint John Evangelist with St. Gregory the
Wonderworker is considered to be one of the artist's great
masterpieces. It's value is estimated as high as $8,000,000. The
painting was not insured, and although the building was equipped with
security alarms, the system was rendered non-functional because the
Church lacked the funds to maintain it. The theft of this Guercino
masterwork is one of the most tragic art thefts to occur in Italy in
the last decade.
There was no sign of forced
entry. This suggests that the thieves had hidden inside the building
before the Church closed after the conclusion of Sunday Mass. The
large Guercino painting measures about six by ten feet and was taken
with it's heavy frame, a cumbersome task, indicating that at least
two or three people were involved in the theft. They would've had a
large vehicle parked nearby, most likely a van or box truck, in order
to fit the framed canvas inside. Some Italian authorities have
speculated that the thieves may plan on cutting up the painting to
sell the pieces separately. However, that dire scenario seems
unlikely, because the thieves made a pointed effort to keep the
painting whole when they removed it. |
| The Guercino in situ, before the theft |
