A book weighing about 210 kilograms and with a bronze cover made by Salvador Dali was stolen from the Center for Contemporary Art in Issoir, France. The theft occurred during the night between October 4 and 5.
The Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor's office has launched an investigation and has assigned it to the city's gendarmerie service. In a brief statement, the institution describes the work as “exceptional and unique“.
The stolen book is “Apocalypse“ by Joseph Faure. It was created based on the motifs of “The Revelation of John the Theologian“ between 1958 and 1961. 14 artists and writers participated in the work, including Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Jean Junot and Emil Cioran.
The bronze cover weighs 150 kilograms
The book is designed as a work of art, not as an ordinary printed publication. The bronze cover alone, created by Dalí and decorated with precious materials, weighs about 150 kilograms. When unfolded, the work reaches approximately 150 meters.
When it was created in 1958, the value was estimated at 2 million francs. Later “Apocalypse“ was presented in 146 exhibitions around the world between 1961 and 1972. Today its value is estimated at several million euros, although no independent current appraisal has been publicly announced.
French collector Christian Carutzos acquired the work in 2003. He bought it from owners in Japan to prevent it from being sold in pieces at auction. The book was exhibited at the private art center in Issoir.
The owner describes the loss as “the heritage of France“
The mayor of Issoir Bertrand Barrot said the damage was “incalculable”. He said it was "the work of a lifetime," and the owner was deeply upset.
"This is the heritage of France that was stolen," Karoutzos said, according to the mayor.So far, no information has been released about any arrests or how the heavy work was removed from the building. The investigation must establish the circumstances surrounding the theft and trace the whereabouts of the book.
Source: rbc.ru