Andy Warhol: The Heist That Went Wrong

In a shocking art heist in the early morning of Friday 1st November 2024, robbers targeted a gallery in the small Dutch village of Oisterwijk, blowing up the entrance and making off with two screenprints from Andy Warhol's celebrated "Reigning Queens" series. The series, created in the 1980s, portrays four iconic queens: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland (now Eswatini). The heist took a chaotic turn when, faced with a car too small to accommodate all four large works, the robbers abandoned two prints on the street after cutting them out of their frames. Both the stolen and discarded works suffered irreparable damage due to the forceful entry and mishandling.

Residents reported hearing an explosion at 3:05 a.m., followed by the alarm at MPV Gallery, where the works had been stored ahead of their scheduled sale at the prestigious PAN Amsterdam art fair. The damage extended beyond the gallery, shattering windows in about ten nearby buildings. While two prints were carted off in the getaway vehicle, the other two were found abandoned outside, irreparably damaged from exposure and mistreatment.

Art experts, including famed detective Arthur Brand, suspect the theft was not commissioned by an art specialist, given the reckless execution. He explained that damaged screenprints lose their value entirely, especially when cut or torn. This theft serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities of iconic art, even under protective care, and raises alarms for galleries and collectors worldwide.