“France was murdered last night. French heritage was murdered,” Christian Karoutzos told French media following the theft of the Book of Revelation from a private museum in Issoire. The 210-kilogram artwork, featuring a massive bronze cover by Salvador Dalí, was stolen between Sunday and Monday night from the Centre d’art contemporain, De Standaard reported.
Police investigate theft of 210-kilogram Dalí book
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the disappearance of the Book of Revelation in the municipality of Issoire, located roughly 100 kilometers west of Lyon, according to NOS. Police have not released specific details regarding how the theft occurred, and it remains unclear if there are any suspects. Bertrand Barraud, the mayor of Issoire, confirmed that the circumstances of the theft are still under investigation.
The theft presented a significant physical challenge due to the object’s weight. The book weighs 210 kilograms in total, with the bronze cover alone accounting for 150 kilograms, De Standaard reported. NOS noted that it remains a mystery how thieves managed to remove such a heavy object from the premises.
Dalí and 14 artists created the Apocalypse work
Commissioned by art publisher Joseph Forêt starting in 1958, the Book of Revelation is both a book and a piece of art. Its text is written on large sheets of parchment and inspired by the Book of Revelation from the New Testament. Fourteen renowned artists of the era contributed illustrations, including Jean Cocteau, Leonor Fini, and Ossip Zadkine, De Standaard reported.
The most prominent feature is the cover designed by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. Crafted from bronze and adorned with gold and precious stones, the cover provides the bulk of the work’s weight. The piece toured the world between 1961 and 1972 before spending several years in a vault.
Valuation and ownership of the artwork
Christian Karoutzos, the director of an art restoration company in Issoire, purchased the work in 2003. At the time of a valuation a few years prior to that sale, the book was estimated at 2 million French francs (approximately 304,898 euros), making it the most expensive book in the world at that time, according to De Standaard.
Karoutzos had the piece on display at his own Centre d’art contemporain when it was stolen. He described the loss as an attack on the French cultural sector.
Common questions about the Livre de l’apocalypse theft
- What makes the stolen book so heavy?
- The book’s weight comes primarily from its bronze cover designed by Salvador Dalí, which weighs 150 kilograms of the total 210-kilogram weight, according to De Standaard.
- Where exactly was the artwork stolen from?
- The theft occurred at the Centre d’art contemporain in Issoire, a town located south of Clermont-Ferrand and west of Lyon, as reported by De Standaard and NOS.
- Who were the artists involved in the project?
- In addition to Salvador Dalí, the work featured contributions from 13 other artists, including Jean Cocteau, Leonor Fini, and Ossip Zadkine, according to De Standaard.
“The owner is deeply distressed and says that a piece of French heritage has been stolen.” — Bertrand Barraud, Mayor of Issoire, via De Standaard.
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