Warhol Artwork Discarded by Dutch Town Hall
Nearly 50 pieces of artwork have reportedly gone missing in the municipality of Maashorst due to inadequate storage and oversight. The town hall in Maashorst announced that it may have unintentionally discarded numerous artworks, including...
TroibNews 
Nearly 50 pieces of artwork have reportedly gone missing in the municipality of Maashorst due to inadequate storage and oversight.
The town hall in Maashorst announced that it may have unintentionally discarded numerous artworks, including a piece by renowned artist Andy Warhol, amid recent renovation efforts, as reported by local broadcaster Omroep Brabant.
On Thursday, the municipality confirmed that these artworks had been kept in a basement during comprehensive renovations of the town hall last year.
An investigation initiated by the municipality revealed that 46 pieces – including a rare 1980s silkscreen of former Dutch royal Queen Beatrix by Warhol – had vanished, “most likely” ending up in bulk waste, making recovery improbable.
The investigation indicated a lack of policies or protocols for managing the artworks throughout the renovation. Some pieces were loaned to a local museum, others returned to their creators, while those stored in the town hall's basement sustained damage.
The response to the missing artworks was also reportedly slow. The Warhol piece, valued at approximately €22,000, was last seen in September 2023, according to the report.
Mayor Hans van der Pas of Maashorst expressed to Omroep Brabant that the artwork must have been disposed of along with bulk waste during that time. “This is no way to treat valuable items,” he remarked. “But it happened. We regret it.”
Warhol, considered one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, produced the print as part of his 1985 ‘Reigning Queens’ series—just two years before his passing. This series includes 16 vibrant silkscreen prints featuring four monarchs: Elizabeth II of the UK, Beatrix of the Netherlands, Margrethe II of Denmark, and Ntombi Twala of Eswatini. He based these works on official state portraits that were widely circulated on stamps, currency, and other public media.
In a related incident last November, several silkscreens from Warhol's Reigning Queens series were stolen during a nighttime break-in at the MPV Gallery located in North Brabant, Netherlands.
Thieves initially made off with four prints from the series but left behind two nearby. The stolen artworks depicted Queen Elizabeth II and Margrethe II of Denmark, while those of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini were abandoned, reportedly due to their size not fitting in the getaway vehicle.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
The town hall in Maashorst announced that it may have unintentionally discarded numerous artworks, including a piece by renowned artist Andy Warhol, amid recent renovation efforts, as reported by local broadcaster Omroep Brabant.
On Thursday, the municipality confirmed that these artworks had been kept in a basement during comprehensive renovations of the town hall last year.
An investigation initiated by the municipality revealed that 46 pieces – including a rare 1980s silkscreen of former Dutch royal Queen Beatrix by Warhol – had vanished, “most likely” ending up in bulk waste, making recovery improbable.
The investigation indicated a lack of policies or protocols for managing the artworks throughout the renovation. Some pieces were loaned to a local museum, others returned to their creators, while those stored in the town hall's basement sustained damage.
The response to the missing artworks was also reportedly slow. The Warhol piece, valued at approximately €22,000, was last seen in September 2023, according to the report.
Mayor Hans van der Pas of Maashorst expressed to Omroep Brabant that the artwork must have been disposed of along with bulk waste during that time. “This is no way to treat valuable items,” he remarked. “But it happened. We regret it.”
Warhol, considered one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, produced the print as part of his 1985 ‘Reigning Queens’ series—just two years before his passing. This series includes 16 vibrant silkscreen prints featuring four monarchs: Elizabeth II of the UK, Beatrix of the Netherlands, Margrethe II of Denmark, and Ntombi Twala of Eswatini. He based these works on official state portraits that were widely circulated on stamps, currency, and other public media.
In a related incident last November, several silkscreens from Warhol's Reigning Queens series were stolen during a nighttime break-in at the MPV Gallery located in North Brabant, Netherlands.
Thieves initially made off with four prints from the series but left behind two nearby. The stolen artworks depicted Queen Elizabeth II and Margrethe II of Denmark, while those of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini were abandoned, reportedly due to their size not fitting in the getaway vehicle.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
