Rare Roman statue returned to French museum 50 years after heist

A Dutch art detective has returned a rare Roman statue that was considered one of France's most important treasures to the museum from which it was stolen nearly 50 years ago.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand hands over the retrieved Roman statue of Bacchus as a child from the first century to Catherine Monnet, director of the French museum of Pays Chatillonais, from where it was stolen in 1973. © AFP/John Thys

Arthur Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the art world" for his exploits, handed back the first century bronze sculpture statue of the god Bacchus to the director of the Musée du Pays Chatillonnais in eastern France.

It was from there on a cold evening in December 1973 that thieves smashed a window, crawled through the bars and pilfered the 40 centimetre statue of the god of wine.

The criminals made off with some Roman antiquities, around 5,000 Roman coins and the bronze statue of Bacchus as a child.

"The loss to the museum and the community was enormous. One of their most precious antiquities had been stolen," said Brand, moments before handing back the statute in a ceremony at an Amsterdam hotel.

"Back then there was no proper catalogue for stolen art; the statue disappeared into the underworld and was thought to have been lost forever."

RECOVERED: The precious Roman Bacchus of Vertillum (1st century BC), stolen 50 years ago in France, was handed over by me to Catherine Monnet, the museums director. One of the most beautiful Roman antiquities ever found in France (excavated in 1894) is back where it belongs... pic.twitter.com/62UIPftaV6

— Arthur Brand (art detective) (@brand_arthur) February 2, 2022

'Hunt was on'

The statue resurfaced through sheer chance two years ago when an Austrian client contacted Brand, whose previous finds include a Picasso painting as well as "Hitler's Horses", two equine sculptures that once stood outside the Nazi leader's Berlin chancellery.

The client asked the Dutchman to investigate a statue of a little boy he bought legally on the art circuit.

"When we could find no reference for such an important work existing anywhere, we realised that the work could have been stolen – and the hunt to find out what it is was on," said Brand.

After months of sleuthing, an obscure entry in a 1927 edition of a French archaeological magazine finally revealed a clue: the sculpture depicts Bacchus as a child and belonged to a French museum.

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Further enquiries with French police revealed it was stolen on 19 December, 1973.

"This means we had to make a deal. The Austrian collector bought it legally on the open market where it had probably been sold more than once over the last few decades," the detective said.

Furthermore, the five-year statute of limitations in France meant that no criminal case could be opened.

"But the owner was shocked to learn that the piece had been stolen and wanted to give it back to the museum," Brand said.

"Under French law, he had to be paid a small amount – a fraction of the statue's price which could be millions of euros – for 'safekeeping'."

Art treasures of France

Brand tapped into his extensive network, and two British art collectors, Brett and Aaron Hammond, sponsored half of the amount, while Chatillon's council paid the other half of the undisclosed sum of money.

"After 50 years, it's extremely rare for a stolen object to surface. Especially such an important one, that's now going back to the museum where it belongs," Brand said.

Catherine Monnet, the director of the museum – famed for its collection of Roman artefacts – was delighted to have the sculpture back.

"This is a particularly important art piece, because they are so rare and of such great quality," she said.

The statue was discovered by archaeologists in 1894 during a dig at the nearby archaeological site of Vertillum, an ancient Gallo-Roman village first excavated in 1846, already declared a historical monument two decades prior.

In 1937, the Bacchus statue formed part of an exhibition in Paris consisting of what was regarded as the 50 most beautiful art treasures of France, Monnet said.

As for Arthur Brand, "he has free entrance to the museum for life", Monnet added.

(with AFP)