Poppy Flowers
Poppy Flowers (also known as Vase And Flowers and Vase with Viscaria) is a painting by Vincent van Gogh with an estimated value of US$50 million[1] to $55 million;[2] it was stolen from Cairo's Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum in August 2010 and has yet to be found.[3]
Poppy Flowers | |
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Artist | Vincent van Gogh |
Year | 1887 |
Catalogue | |
Type | Still life |
Medium | Oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 65 cm × 54 cm (26 in × 21 in) |
Egyptian officials erroneously believed they had recovered the painting only hours after its theft when two Italian suspects attempted to board a plane to Italy at Cairo International Airport.[4] The same painting had been stolen from the same museum on June 4, 1977, and was recovered ten years later[5] in Kuwait.[6]
The painting is small, measuring 65 x 54 cm, and depicts yellow and red poppy flowers.[7] It is believed that van Gogh painted it in 1887, three years before his suicide.[5] The painting, which is of a vase of yellow and red poppies, contrasted against a dark ground is a reflection of Van Gogh's deep admiration for Adolphe Monticelli, an older painter whose work influenced him when first he saw it in Paris in 1886.[8]
Reaction to theft
In October 2010, an Egyptian court found 11 culture ministry employees, including Deputy Culture Minister Mohsen Shaalan, guilty of negligence and professional delinquency.[3] Each was sentenced to three years in jail but subsequently released on bail of about $1,750 pending appeal.[3] After the appeal, Shaalan served a one year prison term ending in 2013.[9]
Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris put up a $175,000 or 1,000,000 Egyptian pounds reward for information leading to the return of the painting.[10]
See also
References
- "Egyptian authorities recover stolen Van Gogh painting". CNN. August 21, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- "Egypt culture chief sleepless over Van Gogh theft". Reuters. August 24, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
- "Egyptian ministry officials jailed over Van Gogh theft". BBC News. 12 October 2010.
- "Faulty alarms blamed for Van Gogh theft in Egypt". BBC News. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- "Van Gogh painting stolen in Cairo". BBC News. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- "Egyptian minister says Van Gogh picture still missing". BBC News. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- "Egypt Court Jails Officials Over Van Gogh's "Vase with Viscaria" Stolen in August". artdaily.org. April 22, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
- Guardian, Stolen Van Gogh Still Missing Retrieved August 26, 2010
- Elkamel, Sara. "Egypt's jailed culture ministry official creates art behind bars". Ahram Online. Ahram Online. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- "Egyptian tycoon offers reward for Van Gogh theft". Reuters. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2016.