Dutch Town Hall Accidentally Disposes of Warhol Masterpieces

The Maashorst municipality in the Netherlands has acknowledged that it likely threw away 46 pieces of art during town hall renovations, including a valuable Andy Warhol print of Queen Beatrix. The loss has raised concerns regarding storage practices and the handling of valuable artworks.

In a curious twist of fate, the municipality of Maashorst in the Netherlands has reported that it "most likely" disposed of 46 valuable artworks, including an Andy Warhol print portraying Queen Beatrix, while undertaking renovation works at the town hall last year. The print, a silkscreen from the 1980s worth approximately €15,000 (£12,800), went missing during the renovation process.

Investigations revealed that the artworks had been placed in a basement for storage during the renovations of the Uden town hall, which is being integrated into the neighboring municipality of Landerd. Unfortunately, a combination of poor storage practices and a lack of established guidelines for handling such artworks led to their likely disposal with other waste.

Mayor Hans van der Pas told local broadcaster Omroep Brabant, "That's not how you treat valuables. But it happened. We regret that." The municipality's recent statement confirmed that the artworks likely ended up in trash bags and were taken away during the cleanup process.

A report by investigators highlighted that some of the stored artworks were found in wheelie bins, indicating they were not treated with the necessary care. The findings pointed to deficiencies in ownership documentation, absence of renovation policies, and a lack of action regarding missing items as contributing factors to this unfortunate incident.

Local media further reported that the total value of the lost artworks amounts to approximately €22,000 (£18,800), and authorities have conceded that it is unlikely these pieces will ever be recovered. Queen Beatrix, who reigned as the Netherlands' monarch from 1980 until her abdication in 2013, was featured in Warhol's series "Reigning Queens," which includes iconic prints of several royal figures, such as the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Interestingly, last November saw a separate art heist involving Warhol prints of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini, where the stolen artworks were later abandoned by thieves as they proved too large to fit in their getaway vehicle. This stark contrast underlines the dilemmas surrounding the preservation and security of invaluable artworks.