The San Jose Mercury News reports that a number of lithographs have been stolen from a rental car in a shopping mall parking lot. The 12 lithographs might be valued as high as $250,000. One of the lithographs is a reproduction of one of Andy Warhol’s depictions of Marilyn Monroe, like this one. Police speculate that thieves may have followed the dealer across a series of art galleries, and then broken into the rental car while he was in the shopping mall, just outside a Macy’s. The story hints that that appraisal may be a bit high, but isn’t that a lot of valueable art to have sitting in a rental car?
I’m no expert on lithographs, and it seems these must be quite valuable. However, should we consider them important cultural property, or just pretty reproductions? I’m not sure I have an answer.
