Four pieces of art by the 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina 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. The stolen artworks include significant pieces by the Renaissance painter that were the only remaining works in his hometown and a painting acquired by the Sicilian Region two decades ago.
The theft occurred on Saturday night during a national holiday in Italy, according to reports from the media. Marisa Mercurio, the museum director, described the incident as devastating, noting that the theft happened just before 10 p.m. She emphasized that the stolen pieces were among Antonello da Messina’s most important and well-known works, highlighting the significant loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.
Local councillor Enzo Caruso, responsible for culture, likened the event to a movie scene and suggested that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian state for $15 million earlier in the year may have attracted the attention of the thief or thieves. Among the stolen pieces were three panels from an altarpiece called “Polittico di San Gregorio,” originally consisting of six panels and the only work by the painter never to have left his hometown, as the local monastery it was intended for was destroyed in an earthquake.
One of the stolen artworks was a small two-sided painting portraying the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other. This piece was part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was acquired by the Sicilian Region in 2003. In February, the Italian Culture Ministry purchased another two-sided painting, known as “Ecce Homo,” from Sotheby’s just before it was set to be auctioned.
The theft of these recognizable works may pose challenges for the perpetrators, as highlighted by art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson. She emphasized that selling stolen Antonello da Messina pieces through legitimate channels would be difficult, and these artworks may circulate among criminals as collateral for illicit activities.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples before returning to Messina in 1457, where he continued his artistic endeavors until 1474. The theft occurred shortly after the recovery of three paintings by French masters that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March, indicating a concerning trend in art theft incidents.