Four pieces by the 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina, as announced by Italy’s culture minister on Sunday. Alessandro Giuli expressed shock and sadness at the theft in a statement. The stolen artworks include parts of the only surviving collection by the Renaissance painter in his hometown and a small painting acquired by the Sicilian Region twenty years ago. The theft occurred on Saturday night during a national holiday in Italy, according to media reports.
Marisa Mercurio, the museum director, described the theft as devastating, noting that it took place just before 10 p.m. She emphasized that the stolen pieces were among Antonello da Messina’s most important and well-known works, marking a significant loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.
Enzo Caruso, a local councillor overseeing culture, likened the incident to a movie scene. He suggested that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian government for $15 million earlier this year may have drawn the attention of the thief or thieves to the museum. Three out of the five remaining panels of an altarpiece known as “Polittico di San Gregorio” were stolen. Originally consisting of six panels and intended for a local monastery destroyed by an earthquake in 1908, this altarpiece was the only work by the Sicilian painter that had never left his hometown. Additionally, a fourth artwork, a small two-sided painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other, was taken from a secure display case.
The stolen painting was part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was acquired by the Sicilian Region in 2003. In a separate incident earlier this year, the Italian Culture Ministry purchased another two-sided painting, known as “Ecce Homo,” from Sotheby’s just before it was scheduled for auction. The stolen works, according to art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson, are easily identifiable, making it challenging to sell them through legitimate channels. Albertson warned that stealing an Antonello painting might be simpler than selling it and that the thieves might face consequences for their actions.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples and was influenced by Provençal and Flemish artists. He returned to Messina in 1457 and worked there until 1474. The theft occurred shortly after Italian authorities recovered three paintings by French masters that were stolen from a museum near the northern city of Parma in March.
