Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Salvador Dalí Bronze Book Cover Stolen in French Art Heist

A significant artwork, a 330-pound bronze book cover designed by Salvador Dalí, has been stolen from a contemporary art collection in Issoire, central France. The theft occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday.

The stolen cover is part of a monumental book titled Livre de l’Apocalypse, a collaborative work from 1958-1961 by seven artists and seven writers interpreting the Book of Revelation. Dalí's cover, made from bronze, gemstones, pearls, forks, and seashells using a lost wax casting technique, is considered a masterpiece.

The book's owner, Christian Karoutzos, described the theft as a murder of French heritage. Thieves forced entry, demolished the display case, and took the cover, leaving the book's parchments untouched. Authorities are baffled by how such a heavy object was removed.

The artwork, valued at approximately $4.5 million today, has immense historical and cultural significance. It toured globally for over a decade after its completion, including a stop at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

Karoutzos purchased the book in 2003. This heist follows a series of other high-profile art thefts across Europe in recent months, including paintings and ancient artifacts.

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