Four pieces of art by Italian painter Antonello da Messina from the 15th century were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina, as confirmed by Italy’s culture minister on Sunday. Alessandro Giuli expressed shock and sadness upon learning of the theft. This incident has deprived Messina of some of the only remaining works by the Renaissance artist in his hometown. The theft occurred on a national holiday in Italy, with the museum director, Marisa Mercurio, describing it as a devastating loss for the museum, the city, and the art community.
The stolen artworks include two significant pieces by Antonello da Messina, which were well-known and highly valued. The theft, which happened just before 10 p.m., was described as resembling a scene from a movie by Enzo Caruso, a local councilor overseeing culture. It is suspected that the recent acquisition of a Messina artwork by the Italian state earlier this year for $15 million may have drawn the attention of the thief or thieves.
Three panels from an altarpiece called “Polittico di San Gregorio” were among the stolen artworks. Originally consisting of six panels, this altarpiece, meant for a local monastery destroyed in the 1908 earthquake, was the only artwork by Antonello da Messina that had never left his hometown. Another stolen piece was a small painting portraying the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side, and Christ on the other, taken from a secure display case.
In a separate incident, the Wilhelm Soldan collection’s artwork, sold by Christie’s to the Sicilian Region in 2003, was among the stolen pieces. Additionally, Italy’s Culture Ministry recently purchased a two-sided painting known as “Ecce Homo” from Sotheby’s to prevent it from being auctioned. Art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson noted that the stolen works are easily recognizable, making it challenging to sell them through legitimate channels.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples and was influenced by Provençal and Flemish artists. He returned to Messina in 1457, where he continued to work until 1474. The theft took place shortly after the recovery of three paintings by French artists that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March.