An artwork valued at $1.1 million and titled “Olympia” by the Surrealist painter Rene Magritte was stolen September 24 during a daylight robbery at a museum in Belgium. The nude portrait was stolen from the artist’s former home in Jette, a museum dedicated to Magritte’s life and work.
Although entry to the museum is by appointment only, two armed men forced their way into the building and ordered staff to lie on the floor while they made off with the painting. No shots were fired.
The painting depicts the painter’s wife, Georgette, lying on her back with a shell on her stomach.
The Art Loss Register has 19 artworks by Magritte registered on the database, eight of which are currently missing. In 2007, a Magritte painting went missing in transit, only to be recovered shortly afterwards by police.
To contact the Art Loss Register, +44 20 7841 5780 (London) or 212-297-0941 (New York City).
