Casual Art Thief Swipes Picasso from Union Square Gallery

"Tête de Femme" credit: Weinstein Gallery

In an act of casual midday thievery noted in yesterday's blotter, an art thief walked in to the Weinstein Gallery near Union Square yesterday and strolled out with Pablo Picasso's "Tête de Femme" - a pencil drawing by the cubist painter valued at more than $200,000. After lifting the drawing off the wall just before noon, the thief made his getaway via taxicab wearing sock-free loafers, a dark jacket and large sunglasses. Making the story seem even more implausible (how'd he managed to catch a cab in the middle of the day, anyway?), popular pastrami eatery Lefty O'Doul's may play a role in catching the Picasso pilferer.

Security cameras at the lunch spot a few doors down from the gallery caught a shot of the thief strolling down Geary with the framed drawing under him arm. Gallery owner Rowland Weinstein told the press yesterday that the distinctive drawing will be admittedly hard to sell, but his biggest fear is that the thief, "will realize it’s unsellable and will dispose of it in a less-than-proper manner." Or maybe he'll just keep it for himself and hang it over the toilet in his apartment.

Lefty O'Doul's surveillance footage via BCN/SFAppeal

[Chron]
[SFAppeal]

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By Andrew Dalton in News on July 6, 2011 2:30 PM

Comments [rss]

aseydell

I'd steal something other than a Picasso...boring. A Mondrian or a Malevich. OOOH maybe a small Kandinsky. And id steal it to hang in my home...not even to sell.

Ben Jammin

another fast day at the office...

fizzandpop

A lot of things:

1. There are 7,781 authenticated works by Picasso called Tete de Femme. Basically if you don't have one of the majors, you just have the art world's version of Pete Rose's signature. Totally overvalued.

2. "We're hoping someone in the public might recognize this piece if they see someone walking around with it" said Officer Albie Esparza without realizing he sounded like the dumbest cop to ever go on record. "Aw shucks" he later added.

3. Loafers, no socks. We can rule out any subjects from San Francisco.

4. There is this place called Russia. It has lots of people with lots of money who could care less about provenance (just look at their wives!).

Anonymous Guest

Loafers minus the socks is actually trending pretty hard with the Mission queermo set.

emily savage

"sock-free loafers" -- that is indeed casual

phlavor

I can never work out why, but there's something I romanticize about art theft.

KWillets

He didn't just steal a drawing, he stole your heart.

Anonymous Guest

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...

timmmii

it's funny, i was just thinking the same thing. this story kinda makes me giggle and i don't know why. i guess i love how brazen and casual he was about it. he clearly staked out the place before doing this. and had a cab waiting, for sure.