PAINTING STOLEN
‘Negro Heads’ By Rubens
(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) BRUSSELS. February 17. A world-famous painting by Peter Paul Rubens was stolen from Brussels Fine Arts Museum this morning in a daring roof-top raid. The painting, called “Negro Heads." was described as “priceless" by the museum s chief curator. Mr Phillipc Roberts- Jones. One museum official, Mr Henri Pauwels, said the picture, if sold to an American buyer, might fetch as much as £357,000. But Professor Leo van Pevelde, a retired curator of the museum and author of a critical study on Rubens paintings estimated its maximum value at £107,000.
He said the picture, about 20 inches by 26 inches, was painted in 1620 and showed four versions of the head of a Negro brought to Antwerp on a Spanish or Algerian ship.
"Only a madman could have stolen the painting," Professor van Pevelde said. "It cannot be sold or even shown anywhere in the world.” Police said the theft was well prepared and carried out with great skill.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30369, 19 February 1964, Page 14
Word Count
167PAINTING STOLEN Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30369, 19 February 1964, Page 14
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