Art
“Looting”: The Revolt of the Oppressed
The genesis of the term “loot” in colonial India has racist origins. Now, after the US president called for the killing of those “looting,” its origins become increasingly significant.
Art Crime
Film
An Unlikely Friendship Between a Painter and the Man Who Stole Her Artwork
The new documentary The Painter and the Thief finds the complexities in what could have been a basic feel-good tale.
Opinion
The True Cost of Museum Fakes
The Museum of the Bible recently admitted all of its Dead Sea Scroll fragments are forgeries. But when fake antiquities are donated to museums, taxpayers lose.
News
The Most Valuable Stolen Artworks Across Time
On the anniversary of the Gardner Museum heist, learn more about the 10 most expensive missing artworks.
In Brief
Artworks by Famed Street Artist "Phase 2" Stolen From Lower East Side Studio
The late Phase 2, née Michael Lawrence Marrow, is credited as the originator of the popular bubble letter or "softies" style.
News
A Long-Lost de Kooning Is Being Restored, But Will Always Bear the Scars of Its Theft
Willem de Kooning’s “Woman–Ochre” was missing for over 30 years. Now recovered, it shows signs of mishandling and amateur restoration that are difficult to fix.
News
23 Arrested and 10,000 Artifacts Seized in Crackdown on Archaeological Trafficking Ring
A sophisticated organized crime group used bulldozers and advanced metal detectors to excavate ancient artifacts in southern Italy, and deployed facilitators across Europe to traffic them.
In Brief
Court Rules That Picasso’s Electrician Stole 271 of the Artist’s Works
Pierre and Danielle Le Guennec's Picasso stockpile was estimated to be worth €70 million (~$77.5 million).
In Brief
1,200 Stolen Paintings Were Discovered in a Los Angeles Storage Locker
Of a total 2,300 missing paintings by Scottish painter Benjamin Creme, 1,200 have been recovered. They are valued at around $777,000.
Art
Golden Toilet Heist Becomes Fodder for New Art Insurance Campaign
Arte Generali saw a solid gold opportunity to penetrate the Italian art market, poking fun at the theft of Maurizio Cattelan's gold toilet in its new campaign.
Film
The Labor Rights Film That Got Both of Its Directors Murdered by the Yakuza
A special screening tour of Yama — Attack to Attack offers a chance to see this extremely rare Japanese film, which was intended to be used in perpetuity to agitate on behalf of the working class.
Film
In Scorsese's Latest, Bits of Humor Laced with Poison
An epic three and a half hours, The Irishman is in no hurry to get anywhere. It luxuriates in large and small detours, indulging flashbacks within flashbacks but it's rarely boring.