Zürcher Nachrichten - Art sleuth returns statue to France almost 50 years after heist

EUR -
AED 3.826681
AFN 70.961758
ALL 98.138602
AMD 405.652886
ANG 1.877182
AOA 951.190259
ARS 1045.720247
AUD 1.602814
AWG 1.877897
AZN 1.775245
BAM 1.955573
BBD 2.102956
BDT 124.465544
BGN 1.955294
BHD 0.392554
BIF 3076.642669
BMD 1.041829
BND 1.403837
BOB 7.197164
BRL 6.043693
BSD 1.041579
BTN 87.914489
BWP 14.229347
BYN 3.408604
BYR 20419.848375
BZD 2.099456
CAD 1.456529
CDF 2991.091432
CHF 0.930957
CLF 0.036923
CLP 1018.83097
CNY 7.54601
CNH 7.562783
COP 4573.368835
CRC 530.538382
CUC 1.041829
CUP 27.608468
CVE 110.252195
CZK 25.343745
DJF 185.478458
DKK 7.457729
DOP 62.772709
DZD 139.835759
EGP 51.726992
ERN 15.627435
ETB 127.508391
FJD 2.371151
FKP 0.822333
GBP 0.831435
GEL 2.855018
GGP 0.822333
GHS 16.456089
GIP 0.822333
GMD 73.970229
GNF 8977.957272
GTQ 8.040066
GYD 217.904692
HKD 8.110066
HNL 26.320943
HRK 7.431636
HTG 136.72412
HUF 411.522823
IDR 16610.452733
ILS 3.856892
IMP 0.822333
INR 87.968134
IQD 1364.44153
IRR 43834.955489
ISK 145.523076
JEP 0.822333
JMD 165.930728
JOD 0.738765
JPY 161.244275
KES 134.884334
KGS 90.122166
KHR 4193.512952
KMF 492.268155
KPW 937.645704
KRW 1463.259646
KWD 0.320727
KYD 0.867999
KZT 520.059599
LAK 22878.342838
LBP 93271.167197
LKR 303.144792
LRD 187.998165
LSL 18.795317
LTL 3.076251
LVL 0.630192
LYD 5.086409
MAD 10.478083
MDL 18.997794
MGA 4861.435378
MKD 61.522855
MMK 3383.819949
MNT 3540.134882
MOP 8.35093
MRU 41.443187
MUR 48.810083
MVR 16.10707
MWK 1806.090235
MXN 21.283008
MYR 4.654932
MZN 66.583684
NAD 18.795317
NGN 1767.675143
NIO 38.325549
NOK 11.53576
NPR 140.663663
NZD 1.785942
OMR 0.400943
PAB 1.041579
PEN 3.949541
PGK 4.193513
PHP 61.404399
PKR 289.239507
PLN 4.337676
PYG 8131.055634
QAR 3.798559
RON 4.978071
RSD 116.991412
RUB 108.671879
RWF 1421.834864
SAR 3.911473
SBD 8.734231
SCR 14.272055
SDG 626.663972
SEK 11.497837
SGD 1.402931
SHP 0.822333
SLE 23.68116
SLL 21846.638123
SOS 595.230868
SRD 36.978718
STD 21563.75683
SVC 9.113941
SYP 2617.626467
SZL 18.788818
THB 35.922648
TJS 11.092512
TMT 3.646401
TND 3.309016
TOP 2.440072
TRY 35.9978
TTD 7.074178
TWD 33.946439
TZS 2770.578216
UAH 43.089995
UGX 3848.553017
USD 1.041829
UYU 44.294855
UZS 13362.448044
VES 48.506662
VND 26482.251319
VUV 123.688032
WST 2.90836
XAF 655.880824
XAG 0.033274
XAU 0.000384
XCD 2.815595
XDR 0.792308
XOF 655.880824
XPF 119.331742
YER 260.379151
ZAR 18.915093
ZMK 9377.71492
ZMW 28.772658
ZWL 335.468513
  • BCC

    3.4200

    143.78

    +2.38%

  • SCS

    0.2300

    13.27

    +1.73%

  • RIO

    -0.2200

    62.35

    -0.35%

  • RBGPF

    59.2400

    59.24

    +100%

  • GSK

    0.2600

    33.96

    +0.77%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    6.79

    -0.15%

  • CMSC

    0.0320

    24.672

    +0.13%

  • NGG

    1.0296

    63.11

    +1.63%

  • BTI

    0.4000

    37.38

    +1.07%

  • CMSD

    0.0150

    24.46

    +0.06%

  • RELX

    0.9900

    46.75

    +2.12%

  • BCE

    0.0900

    26.77

    +0.34%

  • JRI

    -0.0200

    13.21

    -0.15%

  • VOD

    0.1323

    8.73

    +1.52%

  • BP

    0.2000

    29.72

    +0.67%

  • AZN

    1.3700

    65.63

    +2.09%

Art sleuth returns statue to France almost 50 years after heist
Art sleuth returns statue to France almost 50 years after heist

Art sleuth returns statue to France almost 50 years after heist

A Dutch art detective has returned a rare Roman statue that was considered one of France's most important treasures to the museum from which it was stolen nearly 50 years ago.

Text size:

Arthur Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for his exploits, handed back the 1st century bronze sculpture statue of the god Bacchus to the director of the Musee du Pays Chatillonnais in eastern France.

It was from there on a cold evening in December 1973 that thieves smashed a window, crawled through the bars and pilfered the 40 centimetre (15.7 inch) statue of the god of wine.

"The criminals made off with some Roman antiquities, around 5,000 Roman coins -- but more importantly, the bronze statue of Bacchus as a child," Brand told AFP.

"The loss to the museum and the community was enormous. One of their most precious antiquities has been stolen," said Brand, moments before handing back the statute in a ceremony at an Amsterdam hotel.

"Because back then there was no proper catalogue for stolen art, the statue disappeared into the underworld and was thought to have been lost for ever."

The director of the museum -- famed for its collection of Roman artefacts from the nearby archaeological dig site of Vertillum, an ancient Gallo-Roman village first excavated in 1846 -- said it was an emotional moment.

"When I saw it now for the first time, I just realised how much more beautiful it is than the copy we have had on display" since the original was stolen, Catherine Monnet told AFP.

- 'Hunt was on' -

The statue resurfaced through sheer chance two years ago when an Austrian client contacted Brand, whose previous finds include a Picasso painting and "Hitler's Horses", sculptures that once stood outside the Nazi leader's Berlin chancellery.

The client asked the Dutchman to investigate a statue of a little boy he bought legally on the art circuit.

"When we could find no reference for such an important work existing anywhere, we realised that the work could have been stolen -- and the hunt to find out what it is was on," said Brand.

After months of sleuthing, an obscure entry in a 1927 edition of a French archaeological magazine finally revealed a clue: the sculpture depicts Bacchus as a child and belonged to a French museum.

Further enquiries with French police revealed it was stolen on 19 December 1973, according to an official police report of which AFP has seen a copy.

"This means we had to make a deal. The Austrian collector bought it legally on the open market where it had probably been sold more than once over the last few decades," the detective said.

Furthermore, the statute of limitations in France was five years, meaning that no criminal case could be opened, Brand said.

"But the owner was shocked to learn that the piece had been stolen and wanted to give it back to the museum. Under French law, he had to be paid a small amount -- a fraction of the statue's price which could be millions of euros -- for 'safekeeping'," Brand said.

- 'French heritage' -

Brand tapped into his extensive network, and two British art collectors, Brett and Aaron Hammond, sponsored half of the amount, while Chatillon's council paid the other of the undisclosed sum of money.

"After 50 years, it's extremely rare for a stolen object to surface. Especially such an important one, that's now going back to the museum where it belongs," Brand said.

Museum director Monnet was delighted to have the sculpture back.

"This is a particularly important art piece, because they are so rare and of such great quality," she said.

The statue was discovered by archaeologists in 1894 during a dig at the Vertillum site, already declared a historical monument two decades prior.

In 1937, the Bacchus statue formed part of an exhibition in Paris consisting of what was regarded as the 50 most beautiful art treasures of France, Monnet said.

"This just tells you how important this piece of art is as a part of France's heritage," she said.

"As for Arthur -- he has free entrance to the museum for life," a beaming Monnet added.

G.Kuhn--NZN