For Want Of A Window Repairman

Art

A Caravaggio was lost.

A painting by the great Italian artist Caravaggio was stolen from the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, according to an announcement on Thursday from the informational website Odessa.

"Between 6:00 pm on July 29 and 10.00 am July 31, an unknown person entered the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art through broken windows, who stole the painting of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, "The Taking of Christ," or "Judas's Kiss," according to the report.

On Thursday the museum was closed for cleaning day, according to investigators.

"The Taking of Christ" was created in the early 17th century. The painting was purchased in Paris, by the Russian Ambassador to France. In 1870, he presented the picture to the Grand Duke Vladimir [the Tsar's brother]. The canvas was kept in the Odessa museum in the 20th century, In 2006 the painting was restored to its original condition by specialists in Kiev.

Jesus wept!

Last 5 posts by Patrick

4 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Patrick  •  Aug 1, 2008 @10:08 am

    Note that the story could be saying that the thieves broke the window, but that isn't how I read the word in the linked story, which translates more literally as "damaged".

    If we have any native Russian or Ukrainian readers, I'd welcome information as to whether the windows were broken before the theft, or during the theft. As I read it, they were already broken.

  2. Evgeniy from Odessa  •  Aug 1, 2008 @2:41 pm

    2Patrick

    during the theft
    but your thoughts have the right direction – security system of museum was awful

  3. Jeff Nisbet  •  Aug 26, 2008 @3:28 pm

    My article, "Beyond the Lost Caravaggio," contains information about the National Gallery of Ireland's version of the painting that is not available anywhere else.

    It is readable on my website at the following address:

    http://www.mythomorph.com/mm/content/2006/0702beyond_the_lost_caravaggio.php

    Best,

    Jeff

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