In a surprising turn of events, two valuable paintings by artist Gottfried Lindauer, stolen from a gallery in New Zealand in 2017, have been returned to the police through a clandestine arrangement orchestrated by senior gang members, according to the New Zealand Herald.
The stolen artworks, Māori portraits titled Chieftainess Ngatai-Raure and Chief Ngatai-Raure, were painted by the Czech-New Zealand artist in 1884. They were stolen from the International Art Centre gallery and auction house in an audacious “smash-and-grab” heist in April 2017, just days before they were scheduled to be sold. The thieves rammed a stolen van into the gallery’s front window before making off with the two paintings, loading them into a white Holden Commodore SSV sedan.
The Lindauer portraits were part of the artist’s extensive collection of Māori subjects, encompassing leaders and everyday individuals. In March, another Lindauer portrait of Harawira Te Mahikai, chief of the Ngāti Kahungunu Tribe, fetched nearly $615,000 US at an auction, including fees.
In December of last year, New Zealand police announced that Chieftainess Ngatai-Raure and Chief Ngatai-Raure had been returned with minimal damage. However, authorities remained tight-lipped about the details of their retrieval, referring only to “an intermediary who sought to return the paintings on behalf of others” without providing further information about the identities of those involved.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard expressed his satisfaction with the paintings’ return during a press conference in December, describing it as a positive outcome. He emphasized the cultural significance and value of the artworks and expressed gratitude for their safe recovery. However, he appealed to the public for any information that could help solve the burglary and identify the perpetrators.
On June 7, the New Zealand Herald reported that the two stolen Lindauer portraits were returned as part of an agreement with two senior criminal figures. However, the Court of Appeal has imposed wide-ranging suppression orders, permanently concealing their identities. Furthermore, strict non-publication orders prevent the disclosure of the details surrounding the safe return of the Lindauer paintings.
The Herald’s investigative journalist Jared Savage explained that the gang members involved are currently serving lengthy prison sentences. While there is no suggestion that they were directly involved in the theft of the paintings, their status within the criminal world enabled them to facilitate the return of the artworks, which the police desperately wanted.
Although fingerprint and DNA testing was conducted on the recovered paintings, no charges have been filed thus far. The case remains open, and authorities are urging individuals with information related to the burglary or the identity of the thieves to come forward.