Christ Church Thefts on BBC Crimewatch

March 15 2021

Picture: BBC

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

It has been one year since the theft of three significant paintings from the Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford. BBC's Crimewatch Live featured the story on this morning's programme which contained a renewed appeal for information from the public.

It appears that the burglars managed to gain entry to the gallery by using a set of ladders that were stolen nearby. The gallery was accessed by a smashed skylight and the three paintings were removed from their frames. Alarms were triggered but the suspects managed to get away before gallery staff or the police arrived.

It has been suggested that the paintings were specifically selected by the criminals, the Carracci and Van Dyck being arguably the gallery's most iconic works. Police have released the following and particularly grainy CCTV image showing the theft in action (pictured). Furthermore, the Salvator Rosa landscape has been pointed out to have been a significantly less well known and valuable work. Might the criminal mastermind have had a penchant for this artist's pictures perhaps?

Although it is expected that the investigation can't give too much away, it is rather obvious that the authorities are nowhere closer to discovering the fate of the three works. This is surprising, considering the amount of CCTV found in this University City.

The theft represents a tragic loss for British collections. Let's hope they'll be found one day.

•