Stolen Paintings

Claudemir Bonfim · 05-19-2007, 05:06 PM

Have you ever had a painting stolen?

Well, I had two ones stolen these afternoon from a small gallery downtown.

The gallery owner called the police and reported the stealing. A little later one police officer told her he had seen two guys on a motorcycle holding three paintings (a lady witnessed them stealing the paintings), but he could never imagine they had stolen them.

I just wonder what these guys are going to do with them.

Michele Rushworth · 05-19-2007, 05:12 PM

So sorry to hear about that, Claudemir! I hope the gallery had insurance on the works they were showing.

Richard Bingham · 05-19-2007, 06:30 PM

Make as big a splash as you can, a media circus if you can manage it. Think of the advantage! You're in such demand, that art-crazed criminals are willing to risk all the law will allow to have your paintings!

Congratulations, Claudemir, we should all be so lucky !

(I'm not really being facetious; nevertheless, I hope you can either recover the paintings, or be fairly compensated)

Mary Jane Ansell · 05-20-2007, 01:30 PM

How horrible Claudemir, I'm very sorry to hear about this too.

Hopefully you will be fairly compensated as Richard said, and with much sympathy, I think Richard certainly has a good point. They must have been driven mad with passion for your work! or just greedily have their eye on the financial rewards to be had from it, either way I say go for a publicity storm too - lots of deserved coverage for you and hopefully the work will be found as a result!

Good luck.
MaryJane.

Claudemir Bonfim · 05-21-2007, 09:24 AM

Thank you for your kind words.

Unfortunately it was a small gallery and they don't have any insurance. But I will keep on showing my work there because most of my work which was sold in this city was sold there.

I called some tabloids and radio stations to report the case, a reporter is coming to my place this afternoon and on Wednesday I'm going to be interviewed by a major radio station. As Richard mentioned, this can be good news.

Garth Herrick · 05-21-2007, 10:32 AM

Claudemir, I'm so sorry. It is an awful feeling of violation when that happens (I've lost a couple of seminal works over the years). Let's hope the publicity wave works some wonders for you.

The eminent artist Nelson Shanks, made a huge media splash a few years ago when a certain client failed to pay the $328,000.00 fee he owed for his portrait! The public noticed that!

Good luck!

Garth