Art crime detective warns: all museums have been, and will be, victims of theft
Art crime detective Arthur Brand told France 24's Spotlight programme that thieves are increasingly targeting gold and silver objects rather than paintings. He says every museum has been, and will be, a victim of theft.
Arthur Brand, an art crime detective, has warned that international art theft is changing, with thieves turning more and more to objects made of gold and silver. He made the remarks in an interview on "Spotlight", a programme on the French international news channel France 24 presented by François Picard. Brand says all museums have been victims of theft and will be again.
From paintings to precious metals
Brand explains that in the past thieves stole paintings. A painting, however, is unique, and it cannot be cut in two. Over the last ten years, he says, criminals have increasingly gone after items made of gold and silver.
Why it matters
The programme looks at how the world of international art theft is being transformed. In Brand's assessment, ever more sophisticated criminal opportunism is moving attention away from irreplaceable paintings and towards precious metals and gemstones. These can be dismantled, melted down or dispersed, which makes them harder to trace than a one-of-a-kind artwork.
The source does not mention specific thefts or figures, so Brand's warning describes a general trend he has observed in recent years.
