guy with over a billion $ of stolen art

[Deleted]

Police in Germany were suspicious of him, so investigated.  "What they found was extreme squalor, according to Focus. But nestled between dirty plates and cans of food with sell-by dates from the last century were some 1,500 paintings, drawings and etchings by famous artists including Pablo Picasso, Emil Nolde, Carl Spitzweg and Henri Matisse."  

The guy's father is suspected of dealing  stolen artwork for the Nazis. 

Link

Apparently the guy lived in squalor yet he had  "missing art works worth around €1 billion ($1.35 billion)".  I wonder why he lived like that?  Guilt over having Nazi's stolen art?  Or lack of knowing how to sell it?  Or something else?

[NoNamePerson]

Is this the same story that was reported several years ago? I need to go back and look for a date but it sure sounds familiar.

[NastyWoman]

Go big or go home is what comes to mind, except he kept his big at home

[Tennesseer]

If the paintings or the painters were world-renowned, it would be very hard to sell to a reputable buyer, be they individuals, galleries or museums. Buyers of legitimate art works want to be able to show off their art collections. The buyers of stolen art keep people out of their homes in fear of stolen art works being recognized. If discovered by authorities, the art work is confiscate, possibly arrested and charged with a crime, and the illegal buyer is out the money (s)he paid for it.

[obelisk]

old news, the paintings are being looked over by all.

[Tennesseer]

If anyone is interested, INTERPOL has the worlds largest database on stolen works of art.

Stolen Works Of Art Database

[Deleted]

Apr 27, 2016 20:21:11 GMT -5 obelisk said:

old news, the paintings are being looked over by all.

what is happening with it now?  I tried to find more info after NoNamePerson's post but didnt know what words exactly to google.

[obelisk]

Apr 27, 2016 20:23:49 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Apr 27, 2016 20:21:11 GMT -5 obelisk said:

old news, the paintings are being looked over by all.

what is happening with it now?  I tried to find more info after NoNamePerson's post but didnt know what words exactly to google.

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/11/stolen-nazi-paintings-austria-germany-picasso-renoir-monet

[Tennesseer]

Apr 27, 2016 19:37:22 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Police in Germany were suspicious of him, so investigated.  "What they found was extreme squalor, according to Focus. But nestled between dirty plates and cans of food with sell-by dates from the last century were some 1,500 paintings, drawings and etchings by famous artists including Pablo Picasso, Emil Nolde, Carl Spitzweg and Henri Matisse."  

The guy's father is suspected of dealing  stolen artwork for the Nazis. 

Link

Apparently the guy lived in squalor yet he had  "missing art works worth around €1 billion ($1.35 billion)".  I wonder why he lived like that?  Guilt over having Nazi's stolen art?  Or lack of knowing how to sell it?  Or something else?

Hickle-I found this interesting subject matter when I first read about it back in 2012.

For some detailed information about this case, here is a link to wiki about the artworks.

2012 Munich artworks discovery

And below is a January 2016 New York Times article about the on going investigation.

Few Answers On True Owners Of Art Found In Gurlitt Trove

[NoNamePerson]

I thought I remember him or someone being interviewed on one of the talking head tv shows but don't ask which one. But that was sometime ago too.

Thanks for the updated link Tennesseer. At least my memory hasn't completely left me!!!

[Tennesseer]

Apr 27, 2016 21:29:59 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I thought I remember him or someone being interviewed on one of the talking head tv shows but don't ask which one. But that was sometime ago too.

Thanks for the updated link Tennesseer. At least my memory hasn't completely left me!!!

You did good.

[beergut]

Apr 27, 2016 19:37:22 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Link

Your link is from 2013

[NoNamePerson]

That's OK @hickle. Kinda glad you posted this since it made me go back and do a little research on what the outcome of this was.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Apparently the guy lived in squalor yet he had "missing art works worth around €1 billion ($1.35 billion)". I wonder why he lived like that?

My guess would be if you are sitting on billions of dollars of stolen art that the entire world has been searching for since WWII that you are going to be paranoid about being caught.  Which means you aren't going to be having a social life inviting friends over or hiring a housekeeper.   You're going to want to keep that art under wraps as much as possible.

[haapai]

Apr 28, 2016 8:47:44 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Apparently the guy lived in squalor yet he had "missing art works worth around €1 billion ($1.35 billion)". I wonder why he lived like that?

My guess would be if you are sitting on billions of dollars of stolen art that the entire world has been searching for since WWII that you are going to be paranoid about being caught.  Which means you aren't going to be having a social life inviting friends over or hiring a housekeeper.   You're going to want to keep that art under wraps as much as possible.

I favor an even simpler explanation.  Gurlitt was both physically frail and a bit gaga when he came to the attention of authorities.  It's pretty hard to say how long he had been living in a similar manner.  He might have been a reclusive hoarder his entire life, or this may have been something that only got weird in the last five to ten years of his life.  I wouldn't read too much into the expired canned food and filth.  Food hoarding is pretty common among folks who have experienced prolonged hunger and squalor isn't all that unusual in the aged either.