Thieves Steal A Priceless Van Gogh From A Museum On Van Gogh’s Birthday

Getty Image

I’m not a big art guy but I can tell you this: Van Gogh is the bomb. I saw one of his paintings at the Frick Collection in New York once, and it kinda blew me away. It was this one:

It’s amazing to see a painting in person, done by an artist whose work is so ubiquitous that it feels familiar. I had the same feeling the first time I saw the 18th green at the Old Course in St. Andrews, as though I’d been there before in my dreams. Of course I hadn’t; I had simply seen it so many times on TV and in books and magazines that it felt familiar. The same was true for seeing a Van Gogh.

Not to mention, his paintings fetch tens of millions of dollars at auction. He’s one of the greatest painters of all time. So I’m a little shocked that a couple bros were able to loot this Van Gogh out of a museum:

KTLA– Police said in a statement that the thief or thieves smashed a glass door to get into the museum. That set off an alarm that sent officers rushing to the museum but by the time they got there the painting and whoever stole it were gone.

These aren’t Thomas Crowne and his pals; this is Jan and Davey on their way home from meatballs. They sourced from the playbook of Wreck-It Ralph. Meanwhile, New York City’s luxury retail stores boarded up their shops a week ago. You’re telling me Prada had more foresight to protect a few $1200 scarves than the Dutch did to protect a $30mm+ painting? Maybe weed should be illegal after all.

Making matters worse, the painting was on loan from another museum. Boy, that’s a tough phone call to make. I borrowed a buddy’s car once and somehow snapped the key off in the ignition. It was a 1994 Land Rover Defender, and it’s not easy to find a technician who can service those puppies. I had to call my friend, then his mom to get a spare key, then get Triple A to tow it to the dealership… totally ruined a prime Hamptons weekend.

Who knows. I heard that the hardest part of the art theft game is actually selling the painting. Maybe it will turn up on Artsy. Here’s to a swift return to its incredibly low-security residence in Amsterdam.