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The image comes from the Guardian story on the petty thieves who allegedly pilfered the Arbeit Macht Frei sign from Auschwitz. There is a detail to that story that drives at the widespread and totally wrong misapprehension about how art theft happens:

[Polish police commander Andrzej Rokita] refused to be drawn on reports in the Polish press that an unnamed "crazed" collector of Nazi memorabilia could have been behind the crime.

"Robbery and material gain are considered one of the main possible motives, but whether that was done on someone's order will be determined in the process of the investigation," the deputy investigator, Marek Wozniczka, said.

If it was, it would be the first time in the history of art theft. The black market for art commands billions of dollars, but never on the bequest of any mysterious Dr. No looking to appreciate it in his loft hidden inside a volcano in Midtown. I would be shocked, shocked, if an artwork has ever been pilfered for the private satisfaction of any individual. Even if there were one such case—and there isn't—that would hardly justify the Evil Mastermind who is always cited as the first suspect in any notable art theft case. I do appreciate that this villain is distinguished for being an Evil Neo-Nazi Mastermind: Usually the rogue is merely of the ludicrously gentried class.

The reality, however, is exciting! When an artwork is stolen and a reward—or more likely, an insurance adjustment—is named, that artwork has a fixed value against commodities on the markets for arms and drugs. See Ulrich Boser's convincing thesis connecting the Gardner heist to the Winter Hill Gang. If you ask me, the old chestnut that art theft fits into a plot lifted from James Bond is tired. David Simon would have been doing the art and criminal worlds a lot of good had he portrayed just one scene with the Greek carrying some Utrecht painting mailing tubes.

Anyway, no one knows why these suspects may have taken the Aushwitz sign. I bet it was for prize money, not for Hitler. What a grim job to reassemble and reinstall it.

Posted by Kriston at December 22, 2009 2:57 PM