Andy Warhol Soup Can Prints Stolen from Museum

Ron Rivlin, April 20, 2016

Andy Warhol Soup Can Prints

The Springfield Art Museum has fallen victim to theft after 7 Andy Warhol screenprints were stolen, during the early hours of the morning. Seven of 10 Campbell Soup 1 (1968) prints were stolen from the museums permanent display.

“We’re shocked and totally saddened,” Sally Scheid, a chair on the museum’s board told the press.

The Campbell soup cans are one of Warhol’s most iconic and recognizable images. Not to be confused with the Campbell soup paintings of 1962, the stolen prints have an estimated total value of about $500,000.

Luckily the popularity of the artworks will cause it to be very difficult to resell or auction off in a legal sale or auction, which makes them vulnerable to end up on the black market. But according to Ron Rivlin, Revolver gallery owner, the value of the stolen prints has decreased since only seven out of 10 prints were taken. The stolen prints include the beef, vegetable, tomato, onion, green pea, chicken noodle and black bean soup. The remaining prints in the exhibition are Pepper pot, cream of mushroom and consommé (beef).

The work of Warhol was targeted before in 2015 when nine original prints from the “Endangered Series” (1983) were stolen from a Los Angeles business.
According to the F.B.I billions of dollars worth of art goes missing every year. They are currently investigating the matter and are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to the recovery of the stolen art works.