Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli expressed shock and sadness as he confirmed the theft of four paintings by 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina from the Museo Regionale di Messina. The stolen artworks include significant pieces that were part of the only remaining collection by the Renaissance painter in his native city and a small painting obtained by the Sicilian Region two decades ago.
The theft occurred on a national holiday in Italy, with museum director Marisa Mercurio describing the incident as devastating. The stolen pieces, considered crucial to Antonello da Messina’s body of work, represent a substantial loss to the museum, the city, and the art community.
The stolen artworks included three panels from an altarpiece known as “Polittico di San Gregorio” and a small two-sided painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other. Enzo Caruso, a local councillor overseeing culture, suggested that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian state for $15 million may have drawn the attention of the thieves to the museum.
The stolen artwork adds to recent art theft incidents in Italy, following the recovery of paintings by French masters Cézanne, Renoir, and Matisse stolen from a museum near Parma in March. Art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson noted that the stolen Antonello da Messina paintings are distinctive, making it challenging for thieves to sell them through legitimate channels. She emphasized that such renowned artworks often 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 created his notable works influenced by Provençal and Flemish artists. The theft of the paintings occurred shortly after the recovery of the French masterpieces, indicating a concerning trend in art crime in Italy.