The Purloined Rockwell - Stolen in St. Louis in '73. Found today -- on Steven Spielberg's wall

riverfronttimes.com ^ | February 28, 2007 | Kristen Hinman

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Excerpt -

Academy Award-winning director and producer Steven Spielberg has turned over to federal authorities Russian Schoolroom, a 1967 oil on canvas by Norman Rockwell that was filched from a Clayton art gallery in 1973, according to the FBI.

No charges have been filed in the case, and federal officials say they have no evidence that Spielberg knew the painting had been stolen when he purchased it in 1989.

"It appears that he is an innocent buyer," says St. Louis-based FBI agent Frank Brostrom, a member of the agency's Art Crime Team, who initiated the investigation. Spielberg is an avid Rockwell collector who helped fund the construction in 1993 of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and who joined its board of directors this past September. According to a December 3 article in the Washington Post, Rockwells from Spielberg's collection adorn numerous rooms in his office compound at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

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[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Laws are for the "little people" anyway.

[martin_fierro]

[Harpo Speaks]

This makes no sense.

Soielberg is an "avid" Rockwell collector and he doesn't know it was stolen?

Google "norman rockwell" "Russian Schoolroom". The top searches are all about how it was stolen!

Spielberg -- an "avid" collector -- never bothered to google his own Rockwell picture?

Something smells...and it isn't "Hook."

[Elyse]

So we are supposed to believe that he spent a bundle of money on a picture and he didn't even bother to research it for authenticity?

[msnimje]

I can't believe he didn't know it was stolen. It is not in a Rockwell database anywhere? I think I will do a little Google search....

[Moonman62]

The best thing about that is the boy staring out the window, but I wonder if that was Spielberg's focus.

[msnimje]

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft/northamerica/us/paintprint/rockwell/rockwell.htm


First hit on my Google search.

[baubau]

"Something smells...and it isn't "Hook."

I agree.

I would expect Spielberg to be arrested soon.

[Brad from Tennessee]

[. . .Spielberg is an avid Rockwell collector. . .]

It's hard for me to believe Spielberg, an aficionado, could not know this painting was stolen.

[Redbob]

Spielberg "didn't know????"
It took me under 3 minutes to find THIS at "fbi.gov":

"On June 25, 1973, an original Norman Rockwell painting, entitled Russian Schoolroom, was stolen during a late night burglary in Clayton, Missouri. The painting was part of a Norman Rockwell Exhibit sponsored by the Chicago office of the Circle Galleries, later known as Arts International Galleries. At the time of the theft, the Russian Schoolroom, oil on canvas, measured 16" X 37", and was presented in a 2' x 4' frame of dull gold-white molding. This painting may also be referred to as The Russian Classroom or Russian Schoolchildren."

I thiknk Spielberg ought to be jailed for possession of stolen goods.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Pretty (suspiciously) sloppy on the part of dealer and purchaser. I find it difficult to believe that Spielberg would buy it without having it vetted by an expert third party. I certainly wouldn't. And Spielberg may be a pukey leftist, but he's not stupid. Not when spending that kind of money.

Sounds more like he was concerned the sniffing was getting too close and made a preemptive strike.

[Brad from Tennessee]

ABC News 3-31-06 FBI looking for stolen Rockwell:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1791402

[Rembrandt_fan]

A man with Spielberg's resources? He had to know. It is plainly impossible to believe he didn't know.

I recently bought an Ellie Siskind drawing for--well, for me, a lot of money. I happen to know Ellie personally, who is a well-known regional painter with a national reputation. The purchase included proofs of provenance. Imagine then, if I was rich and bought a Rockwell. Not a big fan of his art, but hey, in this fantasy I'm rich enough to buy whatever I want. You better believe any reputable agent acting on my behalf would ensure he or she wasn't dealing in stolen art. Without provenance, the purchase doesn't take place. When talking high-value art, authorities are called when provenance isn't produced.

[Eagles6]

For the love of St. Peter and all that is good and holy, is that smell those trout you threw in the trunk on first day LAST YEAR!

[sockmonkey]

Pretty (suspiciously) sloppy on the part of dealer and purchaser.

To say nothing of whoever carries the insurance on his art collection, eh?

[BunnySlippers]

This is very, very common in the art world. Thieves hold onto the painting and re-introduce it into the market.

Most often the buyer has no knowledge.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Yeah, about as easy to believe as the magically reappearing Rose law firm records that had been hiding on a table, in plain sight, for years.

And Stevie will be held accountable to the same degree that Hillary was. IOW, not at all.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I know. I was just foolin' about. :O)

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