Artwork presumed to be Warhol's likely discarded during municipal office restoration in Dutch town.
Title: The Vanished Andy Warhol Masterpieces - An Unfortunate End in Maashorst Municipality's Trash Bin
Get the latest scoop on the disheartening saga of the missing Andy Warhol artworks in the Maashorst municipality of Brabant, Netherlands.
A thorough investigation leaves no room for hope, as the 46 lost artworks, including a unique Warhol silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix, are most likely buried under mounds of refuse. This precious series, titled "Reigning Queens," showcases only 16 rare prints of four monarchs, including England's Elizabeth II, Beatrix of the Netherlands, Margrethe II of Denmark, and Ntombi Twala of Eswatini.
The missing pieces have an estimated worth of approximately €22,000, now all but vanished from the face of the earth.
This collection once belonged to the former municipality of Uden, now combined into the new Maashorst municipality in 2022. As the merger approached, Uden's art collection was meticulously cataloged. Several works were lent to the Museum Krona in Uden, while others found a home in the new city hall and were returned to their creators.
However, confusion surrounding the whereabouts of around fifty artworks began to surface in November. The police were notified, and a research agency was enlisted to help track down the missing treasures. After a painstaking investigation, the agency has reported its grim findings: 46 pieces of art, almost certainly discarded as trash during the town hall renovations.
The research agency cited numerous concerns during the investigation, including unprotected artworks, frequent relocations, and reports of water damage due to a 2023 leak in the renovated building. The artworks were subsequently transported to the bulky waste center on multiple occasions.
One of the key issues highlighted by the investigation was the lack of policies and procedures for managing the art collection during the renovation. Specifically, there were no guidelines for registration, storage, conservation, and security of the pieces. Additionally, responsibility for each artwork was not clearly defined, and the municipality's slow response to the initial report on the missing artworks further hindered the search.
Recognizing the results of the investigation, the municipality has reluctantly accepted that the odds of locating these precious pieces are slimmer than a thin dime.
If you're an art enthusiast:- Andy Warhol- Netherlands- Uden- Art Disasters
References:[1] Maashorst Municipality Website - Lost Warhol Artworks Now Presumed Gone[2] Dutch News - Investigation: Missing Warhol Art Likely Destroyed in Bulky Waste[3] Museum Krona - Lost Andy Warhol Print - Queen Beatrix
- The vanished Andy Warhol masterpieces, including the rare silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix, are most likely lost forever, discarded in the bulky waste center of the Maashorst municipality in Brabant, Netherlands.
- Within the art collection that once belonged to the former municipality of Uden and was merged in 2022, it was the 46 missing Warhol artworks, valued at around €22,000, that were transported to the bulky waste center due to a lack of proper policies and procedures during the town hall renovations.
- The 2022 merger of Uden with other municipalities might have been the beginning of the Misfortune for the entertainment industry, as the unfortunate event of losing the precious and rare "Reigning Queens" series by Andy Warhol occurred during the transition period, causing a deep loss for art enthusiasts in the Netherlands and beyond.
