THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200109
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERESA ANNAS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
IN 1985, contemporary art galleries in the Soho district in Manhattan were experiencing a rash of thefts.
Large, heavy sculptures installed near gallery entrances often were the mark, leading police to imagine there were at least two thieves, with possibly a third acting as the driver, said Constance Lowenthal, executive director of the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) in New York, a nonprofit organization that registers stolen art.
Not so, they learned.
``It turned out to be one strong young man with a lot of daring - and a VW with a sun roof,'' said Lowenthal. ``He would put the sculpture in the passenger seat.''
Then he would tool around New York City, his booty proudly displayed.
After a decade in her position, Lowenthal is full of stolen-art stories. She'll share some of her most intriguing tales Tuesday at the Chrysler Museum during a free lecture at 5:30 p.m.
Her talk is titled ``Art Theft: For Love or Money.'' Some people steal art because they think they can resell it at a bundle, although that rarely is the case, she said.
Once an artwork enters the legitimate art market, it's much harder to pass stolen merchandise. For one thing, the top dealers, collectors and museum officials have learned to check with Lowenthal's stolen-art register before buying. More often, a thief might sell an important artwork to a less sophisticated collector or business person at a vastly reduced sum.
Occasionally, someone will steal because they adore the art; they want to own a Picasso or a Vermeer for ``their personal delectation,'' as Lowenthal put it.
The VW guy did it for love.
``He lived across the Hudson River in Hoboken, where he installed these things lovingly,'' Lowenthal said. ``When he was caught, he begged only to keep his favorite, please.''
This, however, could not be arranged. ``I think he had a short jail sentence,'' Lowenthal said.
In 1994, 7,000 stolen art works were registered with IFAR. The international register, begun in 1976, lists 60,000 works valued from $1,000 into the millions. The recovery rate is 10 percent to 12 percent, with a prosecution rate of 3 percent to 4 percent, she said.
One of the more famous incidents was the Feb. 12 theft of Edvard Munch's ``The Scream,'' which Lowenthal wrote about in Art Crime Update, a column she occasionally writes for The Wall Street Journal.
Anti-abortion protesters insinuated that they had the painting and would exchange it for television air time for their cause, she said. But they were bluffing. Months later, the real thieves were caught when they tried to sell it back to the museum in Oslo, Norway, from which it had been stolen.
Lowenthal's appearance, to be followed by a public reception, is sponsored by the Norfolk Society of Arts. The museum is at 245 W. Olney Road, Norfolk. Call 664-6200 for more information. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Constance Lowenthal will speak Tuesday at Chrysler Museum. by CNB