Stolen de Kooning Painting Found in New Mexico Antique Shop
A painting by Willem de Kooning, stolen in 1985 from the University of Arizona Museum of Art, was discovered in an antique shop in Silver City, New Mexico. The owners, Buck Burns and David Van Aucker of Manzanita Ridge Furniture & Antiques, bought the work as part of a lot for $2,000. After customers suggested it might be a de Kooning, they researched and identified it as Woman-Ochre, an oil on canvas from the 1950s. The painting had been cut from its frame during the theft and later remounted. Burns and Van Aucker contacted the museum and the FBI on August 3, 2017, and the work was returned. It is now being restored for public display. The theft involved a man and woman distracting museum security. Burns stated, 'It's like finding someone else's wallet: you return it.' Van Aucker added, 'It was kidnapped from its home and held prisoner in that horrible frame for 31 years.'
Key facts
- Willem de Kooning's Woman-Ochre was stolen in November 1985 from the University of Arizona Museum of Art.
- The painting was found in Manzanita Ridge Furniture & Antiques in Silver City, New Mexico.
- Owners Buck Burns and David Van Aucker purchased the painting as part of a $2,000 lot.
- Customers suggested the painting might be by de Kooning, prompting a Google search that confirmed its identity.
- The painting had been cut from its original frame and placed in a different frame.
- Burns and Van Aucker contacted the museum and FBI on August 3, 2017.
- The painting is being restored and will be returned to public display.
- The theft was executed by a man and woman who distracted museum guards.
Entities
Artists
- Willem de Kooning
Institutions
- University of Arizona Museum of Art
- Manzanita Ridge Furniture & Antiques
- FBI
Locations
- Silver City
- New Mexico
- United States
- Arizona