Swiss Museum Misplaces Two Old Master Paintings Following Restoration Works

Uh-oh. It appears Kunsthaus Zürich, one of Switzerland’s foremost museums, has lost two Old Master paintings, after sending the pair—and over 700 others—for restoration following a fire that occurred in the building last year. 

Both pieces, which include Robert van den Hoecke’s Soldiers in the Camp and Dirck de Bray’s Daffodils and Other Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Slab (1673), date all the way back to the 17th century. The works, which are small, framed pieces painted on oak, are private loans. 

Unfortunately, alarm bells are now ringing, as the two artworks remain “untraceable.” According to the museum, an internal search leads it to believe that the paintings may have been purposefully stolen, rather than just misplaced within the confines. 

Kunsthaus Zürich has contacted local police to open an investigation into the matter, saying that “despite great safety precautions,” it has been “shaken” by not being able to find the works, and plans to learn from this incident. 

To help relocate the artworks’ whereabouts, the museum has formed a crisis management team and submitted both works to the Art Loss Register, an international database that catalogs lost or stolen art. 

“Our work does not end with the involvement of the police. Kunsthaus team is in close contact with all those affected… We [will] keep eyes and ears open if the works are still in the house,” says Museum Director Ann Demeester, as translated by Artnet News. 

[via Artnet News and SWI, images via Kunsthaus Zürich]