The Los Angeles Times is reporting that a collection of original Andy Warhol art was stolen from the home of collector last week. There is a $1 million reward for the multi-million collection. The stolen Wahol silkscreens depicting athletes of the 1970's include Pele, Chris Everet, Dorothy Hamil and Muhammad Ali among others. The owner of the Warhol portraits was Richard Weisman who knew Warhol and commissioned the series. Supposedly 10 pieces were stolen.The interesting aspect is the report from detectives and art experts will be in identifying the original art, as each set in the athletes series of Warhol art have differences, such as background colors. The police are trying to identify where original sets are and to rule certain collections out.
The LA Times states
To read the LA Times article, click HERE.The investigation is particularly complicated because the stolen portraits belong to one of several sets Warhol made of the athletes. Each set has a different color scheme, but they look similar. Weisman is thought to own several of the sets himself, police said. Hrycyk said police are working to identify the other sets in an effort to avoid confusion over which portraits are missing. The FBI and Interpol, which maintain databases of stolen art, will be notified, the detective added.
The total value of the work could not immediately be discerned. However, Tyler Lemkin, director of the Greenfield Sacks Gallery in Santa Monica, which recently opened a show of Warhol prints, said that original Warhol paintings on canvas such as the ones that were stolen "start in the high six figures or $1 million."
"This is a huge deal. You're talking about a major collector who has lost a significant amount of important art," Lemkin said.
To view an LA TV news report on the stolen Warhol art, click HERE.
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