A Group of Thieves Bungled a Break-In at Anselm Kiefer’s Studio When Trying to Steal One of His Sculptures

Anselm Kiefer’s works aren’t
just valued among collectors—they’re popular with thieves
too. 

A sculpture by the German artist
made of lead was damaged late last night when robbers broke into
his studio in Paris. According to the AFP, the thieves broke
into Kiefer’s warehouse after midnight by cutting through the fence
surrounding the property. 

At around 1:30 a.m., they were
interrupted by a security guard while trying to dismantle a large,
book-like sculpture. The criminals fled.

“These thieves did not realize
the value of the work,” a source told the news agency. “They were
mainly after the lead, which is valuable, especially in this
form.”

The sculpture is likely one that
is made from lead that Kiefer purchased in 1985 when it was
stripped from the Cologne Cathedral, which was undergoing
renovations that year. (He has used lead from the church in many of
his works.) The artist
has long been interested in the material’s usage throughout
history.

Kiefer’s properties in France,
where he has lived since the early 1990s, have been targeted a
number of times by thieves, most recently in 2016 when a
team of burglars
pilfered a book sculpture made of 10 tons of lead and 12 tons of
marble.

The work, which was locked
in the courtyard of the artist’s warehouse, was valued at roughly
$1.65 million.

In late 2007 and early 2008, 22
lead sculptures, which altogether weighed 7.5 tons, were stolen
from Kiefer’s previous studio in Barjac, France. The lead turned up
several days later when it was sold as scrap. 

The post A Group of Thieves Bungled a Break-In at Anselm
Kiefer’s Studio When Trying to Steal One of His Sculptures
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