Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 3 : Presscuttings, Sept 1959 - Sept 1967

Melbourne, Vic. (;' ' ' ;.. ., . 67 1 Perth, W.A. 6 .J If $150,000 Picasso nude stolen I ram Brisbane gallery BRISBANE, Today : Pieasso's world-famous nude painting La Belle Hollandaise, worth at least $150,000, was stolen from the Queensland Art Gallery overnight. An attendant found the empty framr on the floor of the gallery at 7.55 a.m. today. Thr. rminling, measuring 30'/in. h_v 26lin., was neatly remover! from the hack of the frame. No· ot hr.r painting was taken. • A police oflicinl said tlw Pit'u~so. the 0 g_allcry s most rumuus work, was slulPn hl'lw<-en .,.• lO 1>.m. yeslcrdnv and 7.~5 n.rn . today. A wln.dow ahoul 20 r,•PI uhove i.:round level wna rorccc( open. . . , The thief l)robably 1•11lcrcd by chmhmg_ Up some tcmponHv scafroldlnc Pn•t·1t•,_I uround this part of the gallci·.v. l)llrl of llw QuPl'nsland Museum hulld– mg. La Bell,• Hollnndais<• was lns111·l'd for $140,000 hut was n•garllcrt as much more• valuable ln the open world market. The ga l1P1·v purchased Ln B<·lle Hollandaise In London "in rn:5!l fur ahoul $138,000. II was yarl or the !ale H. 1)1• Yahl Rubin's ,·ollccllun In Brisbane. The price paid was believed Ihen lo be a world record ror a Picasso. : 8 JUN 1961 Fhtd the stripper! WHO ha& taken La Belle? Where Is Brlsbnne'8 most Important: mls~lng 1mrson ! La Belle Hollandaise. now t he most famous painting in the Queensland Arl Gallery, has been stolen either by a rt thieves or by foolish pran~ers. The fact that La Belle has disappeared during the course of a controversy over whether or not she might be sold by the Gallery trustees to provide money to build n new Gallery suggests that prank– sters may be responsible. But If they arc, they should lose no time In returning her to her accustomed place in the Gal• lery. She is the property of all Queenslanders, and to steal her is to rob every citizen of this State. If she were stolen by thieves, and not t,y prank– sters, the danger 111 that she was stolen by foolish thieves, rather than experienced art thieves. La Belle ls not an easily transferable pier.e of goods. Her canvas is worth a few cents. La Belle is vlr• tually unsalable. Anyone who knows where she iA should lose no time In returning her to the Gallery or contact– Ing the Criminal Investigation Branch. Her brief descript ,on: Colour of skin : fair; build: buxom:'eye1: 1mltry. When la11t 11ecn she was wearing ... almost nothing! · A gallery attendant found lhc empty frnmc or "La Belle Hollanda ise" on the floor early this morning. _A_u __ s_t_ra___,;;1;;.;;;...;ia;;;;;;;...'=-s........;;b;:;..:iggest art theft? --------..;;;;.;;;..;;.=..:;...;::...:. The thief sot In by fm•clng n window 20 ft. up afle1· climbing some scnf• !aiding, He walked downstairs. look the 30"'. In. b,v 26' & In, paint.Ing, nnd left the way he came tn. $150,000(" PICASS0 1 STOLEN BRISBANE. - A $150,000 Picasso painting was stolen from the Queensland Art Gallery during the night. It is believed to be Australia's big-g-est art theft. The painting is among· the most valuable in the cou ntry. He 1nny hn\'C been bnrc– footcd - I hr.1 c were prints 011 the scnffoldlng, NO ALARM He got Into the ga llerv Itself - which Is purl of the Queensland Museum building about 2 miles from the city centre - bi• the only 0601· not fitted with n burglnr nlarm, , Poller. don't think this was n tluke. They believe he studied the gallery cnrefullv. Onllcrv omclnls nrc wor– ried that the 1>11lnt1ng 111111• hnvc been dn1UUJ:!Cd In lh'c theft, H wns rr mm·c1I from the !ra111r ll fl l'I' 111111s Ill the hnck hurl b1'r11 brnl. And rolllnc II llP \\Olllcl darn– ace It lllOl'C. COLLECTION "LR !Jelle llnllandnlse" was houµ ht In London In 1059 for lllJOUL Sl:18,000. IL wns nnrt or lhc late ~lr H. De Vo hl nuhtu·s collection In nn.. lJnnr . Plcn~so·s p:1l11tln1? ·.n., Illu 1wller~··s most fn111ous work. Jt Wp', l11~11n :c1 !or SM0,- 000 hut wos rr ;.:n nlccl n~ 11111ch mrrc ,·nlt111blc in tile oprn mnrkC't. The 1110:,L \'rt luoblo Pic– asso In the world Is \\'Ol'th 5~75,000.