A Dutch the town corridor has admitted that it “possibly” unintentionally disposed of 46 works of art, together with an Andy Warhol print of the previous Dutch queen, right through renovation works ultimate yr.
Maashorst municipality mentioned the works, together with a Eighties silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix value about €15,000 (£12,800), disappeared right through paintings on a the town corridor ultimate yr.
An investigation mentioned the works of art have been saved in a basement right through renovations and a loss of pointers for storing the works of art may have been a number of the the reason why they ended up being thrown away.
Mayor Hans van der Pas advised public broadcaster Omroep Brabant: “That is not the way you deal with valuables. But it surely came about. We be apologetic about that.”
A observation by way of the municipality on Thursday mentioned the works of art have been put into garage right through paintings on a the town corridor in Uden – which is being included into the neighbouring municipality of Landerd to shape the Maashorst municipality.
“It is possibly that the works of art have been unintentionally taken away with the trash,” they mentioned.
A file by way of investigators discovered that probably the most works of art have been saved in wheelie packing containers within the basement and have been “no longer treated with care”, consistent with day-to-day newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
The file concluded: “Possession was once no longer correctly established, no insurance policies and procedures have been established in regards to the renovation and inadequate motion was once taken when the works of art became out to be lacking.”
It went on to mention {that a} loss of pointers for registration, garage, conservation and safety of the works of art, have been additionally contributing elements.
Native media stories that the 46 works of art altogether have been value round €22,000 (£18,800) and the Maashorst municipality mentioned it was once not likely they’ll ever be discovered.
Queen Beatrix reigned as queen of the Netherlands from 1980 till she abdicated in 2013, when she was once succeeded by way of her son King Willem-Alexander.
The Queen Beatrix print was once a part of Warhol’s sequence Reigning Queens, which produced from 16 vibrant prints of 4 monarchs, together with the past due Queen Elizabeth II, Margrethe II of Denmark – who abdicated in 2023 – and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini, in the past referred to as Swaziland.
Warhol, thought to be one of the most largest artists of the 20 th Century, created the prints in 1985 – two years earlier than his dying.
In November ultimate yr, Warhol prints of Queen Beatrix and Ntombi Twala have been stolen – and deserted – right through a heist on a Dutch artwork gallery.
Native police on the time mentioned thieves took 4 silkscreen prints from the MPV Gallery within the North Brabant province and fled by way of automobile.
However the portraits of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi have been later deserted as a result of they didn’t are compatible within the automobile, NOS reported on the time.
