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Article: The fine art of burglary
- Article from:
- Sunday Star-Times
- Article date:
- July 4, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2004 Sunday Star-Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Works by the world's most revered artists are worth hundreds of
millions. Little wonder art theft is on the rise. IAIN SHARP looks at
a new book outlining some startling robberies.
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DUTCH MASTER Johannes Vermeer laboured too meticulously over the
details in each canvas to be a prolific painter. Only 36 of his
paintings have survived and it's likely the tally was never much more
than 40. Completed in 1670, Lady Writing a Letter with a Maid is
universally regarded as one of his finest works - and one of the
world's most precious objects.
Assigning even an approximate monetary value to this masterpiece
is tricky. It hasn't been offered for sale in more than a century. To ...