According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on August 16th, a museum in Messina, Sicily, in Italy was robbed recently, with four paintings by the Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina stolen.
Misenna Interdisciplinary Regional Museum Director Maria Mercuri said that the theft occurred in the evening of the 15th local time. The stolen items included three copies of the 'Saint Gregory Multivolume Painting' and a painting of the 'Holy Mother and Child'. She stated, "We are shocked by this incident. It is a great loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world."
Antonello da Messina was a painter from the 15th century, born in Messina on the island of Sicily. He was one of the master painters of the early Italian Renaissance. In 1473, he created the "Polyptych of Saint Gregory," and all five surviving pieces are housed in the Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina. The "Saint with Child" was also created during the same period, but the exact date of creation is unknown.
The five existing paintings of "San Gregorio" by Antonello da Messina, housed in the Messina Interdisciplinary Regional Museum.
Antonello da Messina's "The Virgin and Child" – Messina Interdisciplinary Regional Museum
Art experts say that Antonello played a crucial role in introducing Flemish painting techniques to Italy, giving his works a new level of softness, delicate shading, and subtle variations in light and shade. "Even on very small painting surfaces, he was able to achieve remarkable precision and detailed expression."
The Guardian points out that the city of Messina experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 1908. During that earthquake, many precious historical documents and records preserved in Messina were damaged or lost, including many works by Antonello.
Melchior said, "The thefts are a heavy blow to the historical memory and cultural identity of Messina. These artifacts have endured earthquakes, destruction, and five centuries of history, and they have been preserved until today. Now, they are taken out of the public eye in this way, and their loss cannot be measured simply in terms of economic value."
The Italian judiciary is investigating this theft case. According to police sources, the Museo Interdisciplinare della Regione di Messina is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, and its collections are also connected to advanced alarm systems. Police are trying to figure out how the thieves managed to enter the museum without triggering any alarms. Investigators suspect that the thieves might have been commissioned by art traders on the black market.
