Valuable Munch Works gone missing

Munch Works of art missingTwo of the Munch works of art that are missing from the auspices of the Munch Museum in Oslo. Photo: Munch Museum / Studentsamskipnaden.

47 Valuable Munch Works gone astray 

At least 47 works of art from the Stenersens Collection have disappeared. A total of 34 Munch works are gone without a trace. Six of which the Munch Museum believed to have in their possession, writes Dagbladet. The Director of the Munch Museum, Stein Olav Henrichsen, distances himself from responsibility.

 

It is the Munch Museum in Oslo that is responsible for the works. When the newspaper a year ago asked for an overview of which works of art in the extensive Stenersen collection have disappeared, the answer they received was 26. In an overview of disappeared works of art that Dagbladet presents today, Thursday, the newspaper reveals that at least 47 works of art are missing.

Six Munch works that the Munch Museum did not know were missing are among the disappeared works of art. This relates to the graphic works «Omega crying», «The death of Marat», «Crying young woman by the bed», «Portrait of Mrs R», «Tiergarten-Berlin» and the painting of a child, “Åge Christian Gierløff”.

The Munch Museum took over the responsibility for the art collection in 2010 from the municipality of Oslo. The collection was originally bequeathed by Rolf E. Stenersen.

Elisabeth Munch-Ellingsen, who is a great-granddaughter of Edvard Munch’s brother, reacts to the fact that a large number of works of art are AWOL.

– This whole caretaking of such valuable paintings, both artistically and economically, is truly scandalous. I do not necessarily think about the financial, but that it is a valuable heritage. The public receives a gift and a responsibility, and then the responsibility is not upheld, Munch-Ellingsen states.

The Director of the Munch Museum in Oslo, Stein Olav Henrichsen, cannot say anything about why the registration of the works has been deficient. He believes the handling of the collection must be viewed in the light of a symptom of a larger question about how we as a society safeguard our art and cultural heritage.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today