Elderly Woman Stole Jacket Art At Musée Picasso And Had It Altered
Photo 24585052 © Hupeng | Dreamstime.com
When artists create, it is usually hoped that their masterpiece will resonate with the beholder. Well, one elderly woman liked this piece displayed at the Musée Picasso in Paris so much that she took it home and had it altered to make it truly hers. As they say, if the shoe fits.
The artwork in question is part of the Old Masters series (2017–2021) by Catalan artist Oriol Vilanova, and it featured a blue work jacket with postcards in its pocket. Visitors were free to reach in and examine the postcards, which showcased work created by a prominent artist.
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Since this was a Pablo Picasso exhibit, the pocket held pictures of art from the Spanish painter. The outerwear was hung next to a photo of its muse.
Unfortunately, the clothed part of the wall was suddenly left naked in late March as a 72-year-old woman took off with it, French newspaper Le Parisien reports (via Artnet News). Surveillance footage caught the woman stuffing the garment into her bag.
The senior citizen, a supposed art enthusiast, returned to the museum a few days later. Police happened to be investigating the scene and recognized her, so they quickly arrested the elderly culprit.
As per Le Parisien, the woman fessed up immediately but argued that she was unaware the jacket was part of an artwork.
When law enforcers searched the senior’s home, they found the jacket in a slightly different state—the lady had altered its sleeves. As the saying (probably) goes, wear your art on your sleeve.
The woman was let off with a warning soon after.
As Artnet News notes, the unceremonious attempt might raise concerns about whether the museum has been too lax with its security controls. On the contrary, the institution recommended attaching the outerwear to a more secure coat-hanging system, but it said the artist refused as he wanted the jacket and postcards to be easily handled by the crowd, a representative tells the publication.
Vilanova shares with the media outlet that he was surprised at the news of the theft, but recognized that the nature of the art left it vulnerable to such attempts.
[via Artnet News and Hypebeast, images via various sources]
