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

COURI C.:R M,IL , ,T1u 1; 71, 1 1, 1)'7 Sale rumours behind theft of Picasso? p OLICE believe the recent public controversy over the rumoured pion of Queensland Art Gallery tru!tees to ,ell Picasso paintings could have led to the theft of the $200,000 Lo Belle Hollandaise. They are investigating theories that.- • Arl slurloni. ur frnme· nnvthlng could hap• youn, arll•ls 1·ou1r1 ha,•r, pen to it·.. or1anlsod tho robbery lo I IAn anonymous tele· focu• public alltnllnn on 1, hone cllller M 4.30 p.m. the l11ue. yesterdny I old The cour· • A fanallcal arl lover \er-Mall "I have the Pic- eould han laken the lnsso It's nil right" then palntlni lo hide 11 . "" 1 11 in~ up. I that It could not he ,old. Miss Hill said the Rill• I Chairman or u·usw,•s !er\' wns In I he process ol (Sir LeOI),. Tl'ouu , lrns Increasing the Insurance deni~d as co11111letcl) tm- ,·o,·er or La Belle Hollan• true the rumour tlrnt t.11e dnlse rrum its present 11aller1• . lntendect scl1l11e Sl40.000 to $200.000 palntlngs lr 0111 the Rubin "Tire higher IIRure co~~e~on~ Hollandaise wa s would be nbou1. lls uresent c · · market l'aiuc," she said . the most vahrnblc pointing "It was I he most valu• in a t-ollectlon dona wc1 to oble pa intlnR In tire 11allerv the Queensland. ArL G•I- nnd Lhe only maJor Pie·• Jery In M~, 19o0, by th e n<so palntinll In Austra• ~~btri'.lr. arold de Vahl llo ." It was Insured (or $140,- In frame 000, but Its present mar– ket ,•alue Is about S200,000. IL.s theft wns ct1sco,·ered by on Arl Gallery em– ployee ot 7.65 a.m. yester– aay. Ln Belle Hollandaise WRS palntect by Pablo Pie• asso 111 1905. The palnLl111l was moun, terl on R wooden panel. which I he thieves removed from lls Crome. Art lover A team of six Lop 1 ,ollce The _thief. or thieves. Investigators was Im- broke rnto Lhe ~allery at mediately assigned to the the corner or Bowen Brldll• ln~ulry by Ohle! of the Rond nnd Gregory Ter- W. s~~~fz,~.I.B <Inspector ~~~d~~J:'i:'J' s5'!0mp~ste~~ Detect.Ives are concen- clov. tratlng on the possibility They climbed up to a that the robbery Is the window about 2011 from work of a Brisbane arL I.he ground on scnffoldinll Jover. erected at the front of However. they are also the gallery for removing consld·aring the chance a portico. that a "mosler criminal" The window. forced open could have seen un op11or- by a Looi like a screw– tunlty to move In during driver. leads on to a fll11:ht the dispute In the hope ol stolrs teadlnR lo a door his crime would be attrl- Into the main •allery buted to rival locLlons. lover A complal.c description No alarm ~!n~he1fa 11 ~w 1 ~ i~asir~I~~\~ This door Is the only f;~J:: and overseas police ~~~~ct{'\~ld~ot t~nncd:~et~ Damage fear :n b~~~~ar wt 1 1~hm w!~ Is r~~ AcLtng dlr cclor ol L11c ccn1.1 1 i• renovated and the Queensland Art Gallerv bur~ ar alarm hart not vet <Miss Robyn Hill, salct been re-lnstallect . last night that 1.he 1111- Ln Belle Hollondalse mediate concern was that wus hung In a section Just the rarnecl Picasso I>nim- olt t.he main foyer with Ing could be lrrepambly six ~I her paintings 01 the damaged by the thieves. R.ubm collection which "It is extremely lragtle were donated to Lhe gall- ~~~;;~Jd bin~~;• hea~ 1 J1~~ e,rlfhese Include _ two very carcrullv," sire sold. smaller Picasso 1a111Llngs. "lt Is don·e 111 a com- a Renoir, Degas, Toulouse– blnatlon ol blue chalk, Lautrec and De Vlamlnck. 1ouache (a type of \\'Ater 'nie lrame ol La Belle colour) and oil whlct1 Holland·nlse wlt,h nails would smear ani:l crnmble benl to allow the \\'OOd– easily," backed pointing to be re- "Now that the painting movect. wos lound lying hRB been removed rrum ,L.3 on t,he floor several feel shatter-proof glass-fronted In lrolll. of where the palnllng hung. Description p1ti~ 1i'.i11J 0 '~e~lctsbyA ~!~t~: lllldC WOlllllll WCHJ'it1~ f\ Duloh hat. nnct Is lllAllll\' flesh. llghl blue and dark blue colouring . Inspector Raetz yester- l dny nppcnled t.o nnyone 1 who had any information which eoulct help police In g;~ir 8 :.r,,'l,'~~~•s ci'?J cg;it~i';! nearest policc~ uit,1on. DEFERS S TATE Cabinet wants more information about term, and condition• of appointment before giving approval to selection of a new Queensland Art Gallery director. YesLcrda)·, C" blnrl ctr- Mlnt.-ler , ,..tr B.lelke- rldrd to drfer a rl'• P('IC'1srn, hitc1 sa id more comnlt'ndn1lon bv the G-al· c1rtnlls wrrr rr<111rstcd from lcr\''s noa ni of · Trustrc~ 1 lhr Bc.,,urt or Tr11st Cf'~. 111!,1, l\11'. J;unC!-i \Vtf'nrkr Hr IV)l)Cd Ca binet \\'{lllld hr appnintrct. be In n nostllrm 10 nrn kr n Thf' Actl112 El"l11rn11on ctrflnlt.f' drrl~ton nr xt week . l JUN 1967 Sydney, N.S.W. ,, r _,,,,,/ - Fears for stolen art treas·ure BRISBANE, Tuei;day.-The Picasso painting La Belle Hril landaise valued at $200,000, stolen early today from the Queensland Art Gallery, could be irreparabl y damaged. "II is cxlrcmcly rrn)!ilc ;incl ~ould he ,mcarnl_ unless handled very carefully." the ac_Iin!! director nf lhc )!Hllcry. Miss Rrihyn Hill. said . It WH'• llHHIJllc,I on ,, ''II i~ dnnc in a i.:om. "oodcn ranrl which 1h1 hin:11inn nf hh1c chalk. ihie\·c~ remo\'ed from iii 1~(1lH1i:hc (a 1yrr pf Waler frafflt;.". cnlnurl nncl ,,ii which I he paint in~. 1hc nm~• would smear rtnd crumhlc valnahlc in a collrclinn 1.:iwn tn lht· c:11lcrv in M;1v ca~ily. l 1 15 1 J. hy 1lir l:,1e Ma j<;,: "No\\' that 1hc p,11111ing Hamid tic V;ih\ Ruhin, wac. ha-. hl'cn rcm,n t·d finm 11, in..,mcli fnr ~1-lfl.000 t,111 ii~ , h:111cr-r rnor ~l:1~._.fron1cd. 111:-1rkct \'nl11<> ic. :1hou1 fr:11nc a_n~·,t,in.i,: could hAr · ~:011.onn pen In 11. ,\ ilr,\.·1 iptinn lrn" hccn " II " ;1,;, !he lllt"-1 v;1lu- ,1,.•111 lo all ,\1,~1r;dian St.tie, :,hlr r,ain1inc ,n 1hc 1rnlkry and iwc1-.t.'ac. Polkt' force..,. and lhc ,,nlv majot Pic.·a,sn rill' lhcfl \\';i-. di"'icovcrcd 1,ain1in,c in ·Au,1rnli:1.'' , :11 7.5'- a.m hv ;1 j!'a llcrv em- f.a llcllc Hc,llundni:-c. rl 11 ~t·c. ,11~1n h\ :r, ! in. and ·1he 1h1l'\'<.''- entered lhc p:tinlcd "~' r nhln Pi\.·:t-."'i(l in '!a_lkry h\' dirnhinJ,! IO ;i 1 1 1 •05. i.. nf :, ~caictl. nude " 1nd,1" ~o frrt nhnvc the "uman " carin~ a nuid , '.!1C 1 111hl 11n ~\.·ntrold inc N rcl• h111 ;i ncl ic. nrn inh in 11:i~h- "d at 1hr fl 1•111 nr 1hC h11ilcl h.i,:hl hlnc i,ntl d,11 l hh1r cnl - in.I! rri1 l\'11HWin l,! ii rorticf'I nurinµ. h 1 rdn~ 11 \\'intlnw. 1hr ,· \\Clll 10 :1 Oi,aht of stnir, :me! n door into lhc mnin g:11lcrv foycl'.