Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.
The First Theft:
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.
The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.
It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.
While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias’ apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
The Biggest Theft in the USA:
The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.
As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.
【小題1】 How long did it take to put back the stolen Mona Lisa in Louver ?___
| A．Thirty six months | B．Thirty months |
| C．Half a year | D．Around two years |
【小題2】What does the underlined sentence, “
he tried to make the best out of his stolen good” mean?
| A．Chaudron wanted to sell the stolen painting. |
| B．Peruggia thought he didn’t need to work for Chaudon any more and wanted to market the painting. |
| C．Valfierno was tired of waiting. |
| D．Peruggia wanted to study the painting carefully. |
【小題3】 Which case among those mentioned in the passage is still a mystery?
| A．Mona Lisa case |
| B．Last Judgment case |
| C．Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum thirteen paintings case |
| D．none |
【小題4】People from the country of _____ is not involved in the passage.
| A．China | B．France | C．Dutch | D．Vantican |
【小題5】 Which statement is WRONG according to this article?
| A．Picasso was ever considered a art theft suspect. |
| B．Art thieves normally not work alone. |
| C．The first documented case of art theft was conducted by pirates. |
| D．The mastermind of Mona Lisa was an art faker who wanted to sell copies. |
【小題6】 The passage is not finished, which subtitle could be the next?
| A．The Economic Value of Art Theft | B．The Loss to Art Lovers |
| C．The Most Sought After Painting | D．Boston Mob and French Art Dealers |
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