19Th-Century Bronze Sculpture Recovered 30 Years After Theft

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A 19th-century bronze sculpture, Faune Chasseur by Alfred Lepère, has been returned to France after being recovered in the United States, three decades after its theft from a zoo. The 300-pound work is now on display at the Musée de Picardie in Amiens, in northern France.

The Art Loss Register (ALR), based in London, announced in a press release that the sculpture was identified during due diligence ahead of a proposed sale by one of its auction house clients. The 1863 piece was commissioned by the French State, remains state-owned, and is part of the national collection managed by Centre National des Arts Plastiques. It was previously exhibited at the Amiens Zoo before it was stolen in 1993.

Charlotte Chambers-Farah, ALR's business development and client manager, emphasized the importance of thorough due diligence in the art market, especially given how stolen works can vanish for decades. She noted that despite its significant size and weight, the sculpture's location was unknown for more than 30 years until it appeared in a U.S. auction catalog, over 4,000 miles from where it was taken. Chambers-Farah stated that the auction house had no obvious indications of its problematic provenance, but checking the work against the ALR 's global database revealed its hidden past before a sale could occur.

Chambers-Farah also addressed the recent increase in art crimes globally, notably at the Louvre, adding that this recovery provides hope that items targeting their material value, even after a prolonged disappearance, are not necessarily melted down for scrap. The Faune Chasseur was created in 1864.

Source: ARTnews

MENAFN14092026005694012507ID1111664748