Four Renaissance artworks stolen from Sicilian museum

Four valuable Renaissance artworks were stolen from the MuMe museum in Messina, Sicily, during the Feragosto holiday. Thieves bypassed the museum's alarm and security systems on Tuesday night to take the pieces. The stolen items include three panels from the 1473 Polyptych of Saint Gregory and a double-sided panel featuring the Virgin Mary and a Pietà scene, removed from an armored display case.

Museum director Marisa Mercurio described the theft as a "huge loss" for the museum, the city, and the art world. She noted that the stolen works are two of Antonello da Messina's most important and well-known pieces. The theft occurred shortly before 10 p.m.

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We are shaken by what happened. These were two of Antonello's most important and famous works. It is a huge loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.

Interest in Antonello da Messina has surged recently, especially after the Italian government purchased his "Ecce Homo" for $14.9 million in March. Art crime analyst Ljinda Albertson commented that the stolen works are highly recognizable, making them difficult to sell through reputable channels. She suggested that ordinary thieves might soon realize the difficulty and detriment of stealing such famous pieces, as they often pass between criminals as collateral for other illicit activities.

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Stealing an Antonello may be much easier than selling his work. If these are ordinary thieves, they will soon find out – to their detriment.