Stolen Banksy Painting Found, Two Arrested

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Facts

  • Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of the 'Girl with Balloon' painting — made by the anonymous street artist Banksy — from the Grove Gallery in London, England, on Sept. 8.[1][2]
  • The painting, valued at £270K ($354K), has also been found and returned to the gallery.[2][3]
  • The Gallery's CCTV footage shows an individual using a hammer-like object to smash through the gallery's glass doors, quickly grab the piece from the wall, and then turn around and leave with the painting.[2]
  • The two suspects have been released on bail and will appear before Kingston Crown Court on Oct. 9. They face charges of non-residential burglary.[2][1][4]
  • Banksy, whose artwork has been stolen from public places in the past, has made several versions of 'Girl with Balloon,' including in London's Shoreditch neighborhood in 2002 and at the Israeli-West Bank barrier in 2005.[1][2]
  • A separate 'Girl with Balloon' painting was sold for over £1M ($1.3M) in 2018, but during the auction, the piece began to self-destruct, leaving it partially shredded. It was sold three years later for £18.5M ($24.3M).[4]

Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Youtube, [3]Dw.Com and [4]Guardian.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by The Sun. The men who stole this painting not only attacked a beloved piece of art by an incredible artist, but they terrified those who run the gallery, given that this was the first robbery they'd ever dealt with. Although they'll now have to put the piece in a vault for safekeeping, the gallery will receive a bit of cosmic justice, as the piece is likely to increase in value.
  • Narrative B, as provided by LTV Squad. While no one's art should ever be stolen, especially from a private gallery, society also shouldn't have such high regard for Banksy. Since he's labeled a 'street artist,' he's free to roam the world painting on public walls, but if a so-called 'graffiti artist' does the same, they'll get slapped with fines or even sent to prison. Either both types of artists should be punished, or neither.