There is a dead link in this article. The one at the bottom saying ‘the artwork was destroyed in the heist.’
http://www.ny1.com/content/news/33601/stolen-dali-drawing-was-destroyed--rikers-guard-says
This piece was interesting, but missing sooo much detail that leaves the reader wondering. Who was it that stole it? Why? Why did he send it back? Punishment? What about security cameras?
I assumed none of that was known, but a few searches, and it’s all out there. Turns out the thief was the French fashion brand Moncler’s head of international media relations(!) Panicked when he saw all the security pictures of him doing the deed circulating. He said he committed the theft in a moment of stupidity to point out their security flaws. He was sent back to Greece after serving 2 weeks here.
Sorry, but this just made this feel unfinished and a bit slap dash to leave so much detail out about the theft when the title of the article is about the theft. Googling a bit to fill in my own curiosity on details of limited importance to the core events is expected in a short piece, but I shouldn’t have to go searching to fill in the blanks on such central elements.
Mona Lisa.
I saw the fake which hung for years as real in the Louvre post theft hush-up at a da Vinci exhibit in BC. It was open and you could just walk up to it with only a red rope protecting it.
I think a more interesting story is about how an allegedly insane man attacked Dali’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross. I don’t have one of the three or four Dali biographies I’ve read handy, but if I remember correctly Dali was pleased that this put it in the company of Millet’s Angelus and DaVinci’s Mona Lisa.
In fact he was so pleased, and so familiar with the history of these paintings, that some people suspect he arranged the attack himself.
Dali fans might also appreciate having a clock like this. It works, although when asked what time it is I have to say “Damned if I know.”
Looks to be about 9:07. AM or PM, I couldn’t tell you.
See, sometimes I make connections that are just odd. You mention stolen Mona Lisa, and I immediately think of Dr. who City of Death.
Yeah, that is odd. I didn’t think of it until @dobby said “the fake which hung for years as real in the Louvre”.
I love your butler, by the way. He’s so violent!
A story long told in my family concerned the time my great-aunt Edna Hansen briefly met Dali. Working lifelong for the Woolworth company, she at one point was given the task of keeping combinations for the company vault in its famous Manhattan building. Sometime in the '50s or '60s, the company decided it was going to invest in some of Dali’s paintings, which the artist apparently insisted on delivering to the company in person. As Edna opened the vault and workman brought the paintings inside, Dali followed close behind, nervously fussing over everything. At one point he said; “Careful with that! Do you have any idea how much money these are worth!” at which point Edna quipped; “What? This old junk?” There is apparently no record of the artist’s reaction, but Edna went on with the company into retirement.
One thing i love about Boing Boing is the quality of the post and this one isn’t strong. The points others pointed out and things like saying that it was “temporarily” stolen are just weak. An article should have a higher bar then a great story told at a party.
By the way anyone who’s a Dali fan should not miss the museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. If nothing else check out the garden where you can try on Dali’s moustache.
I find this painting interesting because it looks less like a typical Dali than something Ralph Steadman would have made.
In his later years Dali got pretty sloppy, and also turned a lot of painting over to assistants. In Amanda Lear’s memoir she describes helping Dali make some Don Quixote paintings by putting some paint on a canvas then running it under water in the bathtub.
This is not to say Steadman is sloppy. I love his work and love how it only looks slapdash. It was Steadman’s art that convinced me to try Flying Dog Ales. Okay, I probably would have tried them anyway, but it’s the label designs that sold me. Okay, that’s not the only time that’s happened with a beer, but it is the only time I’ve stopped and said, “That looks like Ralph Steadman’s work on that bottle.”
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