Magritte nude stolen in Jette

Thieves last week held up the René Magritte museum in Jette at gunpoint and stole the most valuable painting in the collection, a nude entitled “Olympia” dating from 1948. Police believe the men were acting on commission.

The Magritte museum in Jette – not to be confused with the recently opened museum on Brussels’ Koningsplein – is housed in the Esseghemstraat, where the painter lived and worked in the last 24 years of his life. Normally the museum is only accessible by appointment, but last week the two men rang the bell and were allowed to enter. They then they pulled a gun and threatened the member of staff on duty and two Japanese visitors. They stole the painting and made off in a car. The painting shows a naked woman lying by the sea with a large shell on her stomach, and the title refers to the controversial painting by Edouard Manet, itself based on a number of classical portrayals of Venus, who legend says was born from a seashell. Although atypical of Magritte’s work, it is considered valuable – but unsalable. Police are assuming the painting was “stolen to order” for a collector who intends to keep the work. The thieves remain at large, however, they were not masked, and witnesses were able to give police a good description. They also did not wear gloves, raising the possibility of a fingerprint identification.