Seven paintings were stolen from the Kunsthal Art Museum in Rotterdam last Monday night. They include works by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, and Gauguin. There is much hoopla in the media about the theft. I just checked all the paintings stolen in one of the newspapers trumpeting the loss. “Loss,” I almost heard myself bursting out, “what loss?” Such mediocre paintings are spirited away only because they can fetch a lot of money. Yet another mystery of the art market rather than art as such. In a world worth living in, the paintings would be replaced by brand new ones in a couple of hours. And they would be much better.

Addendum (July 18, 2013)

According to the media, six Romanians have been charged with the theft. They are awaiting trial. However, the mother of one of the accused reported recently that she had incinerated the paintings in a stove after the arrest of her son. The thieves could not find buyers for the paintings, and the woman was worried about being discovered. Forensic specialists who inspected the stove had found evidence of the burned artworks. I just went through all the paintings lost one more time, and I still feel unperturbed, just as I felt a bit less than a year ago. Loss, what loss? The hoopla is about money and nothing but money.