Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Mon, Sep 26 2005
Carpe Ars
The story of the Getty Museum's purchases of possibly-stolen artifacts made we wonder if there is some sort of database or agency that monitors these things. I did find that Interpol has a web page devoted to Stolen works of art and has even produced a CD-ROM on the topic. The Art Loss Register has a private database of lost and stolen art and other collectable items. Great Britain's The Trace Service also maintains a database. The Commission for Art Recovery specializes in recovery of art seized or lost as a result of actions taken by the Third Reich.
There are more. Perhaps there are too many when one would be better. I don't know. It certainly seems odd that so many works of art seem to just disappear with either little hope of recovery or with an insufficient lack of identification once the items are recovered. Since I don't travel in circles of art collectors as a general rule, I never realized such an investment was this risky. It does make one think twice about falling in love with art that might be considered extremely desirable.
I always wondered what people with art they knowingly acquired as stolen art would possibly do to have fun with it. I have a mental image of someone sitting alone in a room with the Mona Lisa, grinning like a Cheshire cat and then frowning in frustration because they know they can't brag about having the thing without getting into big trouble.
posted at: 16:27 | category: /Arts and Entertainment | link to this entry
The story of the Getty Museum's purchases of possibly-stolen artifacts made we wonder if there is some sort of database or agency that monitors these things. I did find that Interpol has a web page devoted to Stolen works of art and has even produced a CD-ROM on the topic. The Art Loss Register has a private database of lost and stolen art and other collectable items. Great Britain's The Trace Service also maintains a database. The Commission for Art Recovery specializes in recovery of art seized or lost as a result of actions taken by the Third Reich.
There are more. Perhaps there are too many when one would be better. I don't know. It certainly seems odd that so many works of art seem to just disappear with either little hope of recovery or with an insufficient lack of identification once the items are recovered. Since I don't travel in circles of art collectors as a general rule, I never realized such an investment was this risky. It does make one think twice about falling in love with art that might be considered extremely desirable.
I always wondered what people with art they knowingly acquired as stolen art would possibly do to have fun with it. I have a mental image of someone sitting alone in a room with the Mona Lisa, grinning like a Cheshire cat and then frowning in frustration because they know they can't brag about having the thing without getting into big trouble.
posted at: 16:27 | category: /Arts and Entertainment | link to this entry
