Four pieces of art created by the 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina, as announced by Italy’s Minister of Culture on Sunday. Expressing shock and sadness, Alessandro Giuli conveyed his reaction to the theft. The stolen artworks include parts of the only existing collection by the Renaissance painter in his hometown and a small painting acquired by the Sicilian Region twenty years ago.
The theft occurred during a national holiday in Italy on Saturday night, according to reports. Marisa Mercurio, the museum director, described the incident as devastating, noting that the theft of two significant and well-known works by Antonello da Messina was a great loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.
Enzo Caruso, a local councilor 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 in the year may have drawn the attention of the thieves. Three panels from an altarpiece known as “Polittico di San Gregorio” were among the stolen items.
The stolen artworks are part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and one of them, known as “Ecce Homo,” was acquired by the Sicilian Region in 2003. The works’ distinctiveness makes them difficult to sell through legitimate channels, according to art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson. She warned that selling stolen Antonello da Messina paintings could prove challenging, as these artworks are easily recognizable and may circulate among criminals for illicit activities.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples before returning to Messina in 1457, where he continued his artistic career until 1474. The theft took place shortly after Italian authorities successfully recovered three paintings by French masters that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March.
