On Friday, two iconic prints by renowned American artist Andy Warhol were stolen from an art gallery in Oisterwijk, located in the southern Netherlands. These works are part of Warhol’s 1985 series titled Reigning Queens, which features serigraphs of various ruling queens of the time, including Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
In addition to the two stolen pieces, thieves initially managed to take two other serigraphs dedicated to Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Tfwala of Swaziland (now Eswatini). However, the latter two were recovered just outside the gallery. Mark Peet Visser, the gallery director, revealed that all four prints suffered “irreparable damage” as the thieves ripped them from their frames during the heist.
Security footage captured the audacious break-in, which Visser described as “an act of amateurs.” The thieves forcibly blew open the gallery’s security door, causing extensive damage to the building and nearby shops. According to Visser’s account, the culprits realized their getaway vehicle lacked sufficient space for all four artworks, leading them to leave behind the two they ultimately retrieved. He did not disclose the estimated value of the prints, which were scheduled for auction at a gallery in Amsterdam later this month.
Dutch art theft investigator Arthur Brand noted that the methods used in this burglary were “unusual,” as explosives are typically not involved in art heists of this nature. He also commented that the stolen works are not particularly rare, as Warhol created numerous similar serigraphs throughout his career. The investigation continues as authorities work to apprehend the culprits and recover the stolen artworks.
