Seven Questions: A Reformed Stolen-Art Dealer Tells All

POPPE, CORNELIUS/AFP/Getty Images Art of the steal: Security procedures at some museums are a real scream.

Foreign Policy: Youve said that you got out of the stolen-art game to provide an example for your son. Can you tell me how you came to find art theft morally objectionable?

Art Hostage: Look, Im not justifying handling stolen stuff, but thats going to go on. What really annoys meand Im sure it would annoy you and your readersis when they steal stuff from public buildings and museums, which denies the public access to those pictures. I want to create an environment where we create dispersal, and people are frightened to steal from museums and public galleries because of the penalties, and then they might start robbing private collectors. Now, dont get me wrong; private collectors are in a better place to protect themselves with added security, whereas public museums and buildings dont have the finances to do that. You have to be a bit more subtle in your approach.

FP: Do art thieves usually rely on these thefts as their main source of income, or are they typically involved in other sorts of crimes?

AH: Well, mostly youre talking about burglars who go into peoples houses to steal things. Back in the 1980s, they would steal VCRs and TVs, but then people found that antiques and art were worth more money. We get these big headline-grabbing thefts, but the majority of thefts come off the public, and theyre normally $100,000 or less. Now, weve had two major heists in one week [four impressionist paintings stolen from the E.G. Bhrle collection in Zurich and two Picasso paintings stolen in the nearby town of Pfaeffikon], but just in the U.S. youre talking about 100 or 200 a day of art thefts from domestic properties. Thats really where the problem is. Its all right that these big ones make the headlines, but underneath that youll find the majority of art theft is against the private citizen. For every Picasso thats stolen, there are hundreds of paintings worth $20,000 or so rather than $20 million.

FP: What typically happens to famous or iconic works of art after they are stolen?

AH: When they get them, they can be exchanged for an amount of drugs which can then be sold. They can be sold to whats called a criminal venture capitalist who might, lets say, give $1 million for the painting, and then theres a $5 million reward for them. Even if it takes five years [to sell], thats a 500 percent return on investment. Say Im a drug importer and you come to me with those pictures and I give you $1 million worth of Class A drugs to sell. I would then pass them on to a criminal venture capitalist or to someone else to settle a debt, and thats how they change hands. Sometimes, theyll put it away as a bargaining chip and then later on they might offer it back to get a lesser sentence for something else.

FP: So stolen art is like a form of currency?

AH: Yes, it is. I mean, the mainstream media whores always run out the same line that, Oh, theyll never be able to sell it. Theres no market. I understand why they do that, but its a bit disingenuous. Sure, they wont sell famous art for market value. But if youve got four men who steal four pictures in a half-hour heist, plus planning, and sell it for a million, thats $250,000 for a very small amount of work. Robbers that used to go into a bank or hold up an armored truck found it very difficult to escape and found that they would get very big sentences. But if an armed robber goes into a museum and makes off with art, he can get a similar type of return for a lot less risk, and if he gets caught, the actual penalties are a slap on the wrist. Those guys who took The Scream in Norway? One guy got six years, and one got four years. Thats not really a deterrent, is it?

FP: Back when you were in the business, were you ever approached about buying art of that value?

AH: Well, there was one painting that was stolen that was valued at 5 million. I paid $20,000 for it and sold it for $100,000 within two days. I made $80,000 in two days, and I didnt care that it was worth 5 million. To be honest with you, the kind of stuff were talking about now, Vermeer and all that, I would put that in a class I call headache stuff. Id much rather deal with a $100,000 piece of silver or $20,000 bits and pieces, but lots of it.

FP: Are there any specific museums or works that youve seen that seem particularly at risk to you?

AH: Yes. Ive written about it. Its the Vermeer thats been stolen twice already in Ireland, Lady Writing a Letter With Her Maid. It now sits in the National Gallery [of Ireland] in Dublin. Its already been stolen on two occasions, and its sitting on a wall in a place where it would be easy to just rip it down and flee across Dublin on a motorbike because its very small. Thats one thats under threat, and Ive even contacted the curator about it. Also, the National Gallery in London is quite at risk because in the first gallery, youve got Van Goghs Sunflowers and several other pictures right by the entrance. The factors to consider are blank spots in security, location, the size of the articles for movability, the estimated response of law enforcement. Probably the best ingredient is inside information.

FP: What steps do you think museums or law enforcement officials could take to deter high-profile art thefts in the future?

AH: Number one: There should be [sentencing] guidelines to judges that anyone stealing from a public building over a certain value gets a mandatory 10 years. By doing that, you will put off a lot of people, though not everyone, because it ups the risk-reward factor. At the moment, if you walked into a museum in D.C. and took a Rembrandt, youd get about three to five years and maybe a plea bargain. But if you equated the value of the Rembrandt to other commodities, youd be looking at 25 to life. The second thing they could do is have a blanket ban on offering rewards for works that have been stolen out of public buildings and museums. The refusal to pay a reward means that the benchmark for its value in the underworld is more uncertain.

Art Hostage has been working for years to broker a deal for the return of the paintings stolen from Bostons Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. His opinions on news and rumors from the world of art theft can be found at the blogs Art Hostage and Stolen Vermeer. He prefers to remain anonymous, but FP confirmed his identity and background independently.