Thieves blew up the door to an art gallery in the Netherlands and stole two artworks by Andy Warhol – but simultaneously left behind two works that were damaged during the heist.
The gallery owner, Mark Peet Visser, believes that the thieves were originally after stealing all four works that make up Warhol's series "Reigning Queens" from 1985. He recounts that the art heist in Oisterwijk in southern Netherlands was caught on a surveillance camera and describes the approach as "amateurish".
The explosion was so powerful that my entire building was destroyed and the adjacent businesses were also damaged. So, that part of it they did well, too well, actually, says Mark Peet Visser on Friday.
The art thieves then ran to a car outside the gallery – but realized too late that the works were too large to fit into the vehicle.
In that moment, the works were torn out of their frames and then you also know that they have been damaged beyond the possibility of repair, because it's impossible to get them out undamaged, says the gallery owner.
The police are now seeking witnesses to the incident.
