Two artworks by American artist Andy Warhol were stolen during a break-in at the MPV Gallery in North Brabant, Netherlands. The theft occurred overnight, and while four silkscreens from Warhol’s Reigning Queens series were initially taken, the thieves discarded two of them nearby, according to the gallery owner in an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS. The stolen pieces feature the late Queen Elizabeth II and Margrethe II, who recently abdicated as the Queen of Denmark.
Local police are investigating a break-in at the MPV Gallery, where it appears an explosion caused significant damage to both the gallery and nearby buildings. The thieves reportedly escaped in a car.
According to NOS, two other prints from Warhol’s Reigning Queens series—featuring Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Tfwala of Eswatini—were left behind because they wouldn’t fit in the vehicle.
The stolen artworks were being held at the gallery in preparation for the PAN Amsterdam art fair later this month, where they were intended to be sold as a set. This series includes 16 silk screens of the four queens, created by Warhol in 1985, just two years before his passing.