Experts Explain How to Protect Your Art Collection from Theft

In the movies—How to Steal a Million, Gambit, Hudson Hawk, The Thomas Crown Affair and Trance, to name a few—art thieves are clever, dashing and skillful. In the U.S., however, thefts of artwork from museums and private homes tend to be inside jobs, committed by people who are far less suave: “More times than not, they are someone like a contractor or who receives information from a contractor or other invitee into the home, such as friends of the son of a housekeeper who cleans the house. She tells her son that the people she cleans for are rich and they have an antique collection and the son tells his friends,” museum security consultant Robert Keller tells Observer. It might also be a relative of the homeowner who has “a substance abuse problem,” according to Denver-based art collections management consultant Rob Layne. When there is a theft, these are the first people law enforcement investigates.

Some art thefts are also committed by what Layne calls “garden-variety burglars. They break in, steal silver, money, jewelry and artwork, because it’s there.” True art heists are less common, although he notes that in Europe there are gangs who specialize in art theft. Even the recent brazen (and rather thrilling) theft of eight of the French crown jewels from the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon was perpetrated according to most accounts by petty thieves, not seasoned criminal masterminds.

If you have a valuable collection of art, do you care who might steal it or do you just want to keep it safe? Probably the latter. Art theft is a multibillion-dollar annual problem worldwide, conducted with a high degree of impunity, Christopher A. Marinello, founder and chief executive officer of Art Recovery International, tells Observer. He notes that “historically, the figure tends to be low, perhaps five to 10 percent” of all artworks reported to the National Stolen Art File are ever recovered, and that recovery usually happens years later. The percentage of art thieves brought to justice is far lower, largely because by the time an artwork is recovered the statute of limitations has expired. Because there are no title documents for art as there are for cars, artworks move from the illicit market to the licit market with ease. However, he added that “technology is improving, and it is becoming more and more difficult for criminals to sell stolen items.” Still, “so many law enforcement agencies worldwide are consumed with immigration, health and terrorist issues that investigation into art world theft and fraud cases are not exactly a priority.”

Protecting one’s art collection from theft can be costly, which may impact how collectors approach security. The more expensive technological solutions include motion-detection sensors in rooms where valuable artworks are displayed; intrusion-detection systems for all entry and exit points (doors, windows, hatchways, chimneys, air-conditioning units); alarm systems attached directly to artworks that send signals to staff or a security company if an object is moved; motion-activated video cameras around the property; reinforced locks and striker plates or electronic access controls; and detailed security protocols for inventorying art, activating systems and verifying entry. DNA threads woven into the backs of paintings can also assist with identification. “For the normal house, 7,000-8,000 square feet, the average cost might be $25,000-50,000,” Robert Wittman, an art security and recovery consultant who led the FBI’s National Art Crime Team until his retirement in 2008, tells Observer. His 2010 book Priceless documents some of the Art Crime Team’s derring-do under his watch. “For a larger house with a lot of acreage around it, you can spend considerably more.” Most of the people he has worked for have collections valued between $6 million and $100 million.

“You don’t want cameras to be hidden,” Wittman says, “because you want thieves to know they are being watched.” Another suggestion is not to mount cameras too high, “because you want to see someone’s face and not just the top of a baseball cap.” And as simple as it might seem, a sign at the gate or door that says “Protected by…” may also dissuade robbers from entering. Less expensive measures include registering objects with the London-based Art Loss Register, which alerts authorities if any reported stolen pieces surface at public sales around the world. The cost of registering artworks is $25 for the first five pieces, decreasing to $18 for 10 or more.

Homeowners with valuable property should of course know who is entering their homes, perform background checks on staff and obtain the names and addresses of all contractors and assistants. Layne stated that staff should be alerted electronically to intruders or fires and “they should receive training on what steps are to be taken.” Those types of monitoring systems generally cost under $200, but even the best systems and protocols won’t work if homeowners forget to activate them.

The reality is that owners of valuable objects often have a false sense of security. Keller says he is “constantly telling” clients that “they need alarms on all levels of the home, not just the ground level. They can’t seem to understand that criminals will climb to the upper floors of a house or break glass, something normal people probably wouldn’t do. I also have to explain technology to them. Often, a standard burglar alarm’s connection to the off-site monitoring station can be defeated and they need better, more expensive monitoring. One client lived near a police station, so she assumed the whole department was sitting in the squad room waiting for her call and the whole department would stop eating donuts and walk over. In reality they are all out on patrol and are dispatched to respond. Presumably, the cops in the station are busy on another case and aren’t even listening to the police radio. Others treat art, artifacts and especially antiques as merchandise or furniture and take no special steps to secure it.”

Art collectors serious about protecting their collections should record every artwork with digital or photographic images and keep sales receipts, and that documentation should be stored off-site—whether in a bank safe deposit box or electronically in the cloud—so it isn’t destroyed should something happen to the house. This information is crucial for insurance claims and recovery efforts, as without proof of ownership, collectors may not be able to recover artwork. Wittman advises photographing objects from both wide and close-up angles, focusing on what makes each piece unique, such as the edition number on an Andy Warhol print or a chipped corner on a vase. This can help speed the return of recovered works to their rightful owners.

Another layer of protection is storing artworks in fine art storage facilities, which differ from standard self-storage units because of their environmental controls (temperature, humidity, ventilation), heightened security and higher cost. Keller advises collectors to ask pointed questions before choosing a facility: whether it has suffered any past losses, what types of alarm systems are used and whether museums store objects there. “You want to know who has access to storage areas and what types of background checks are done on these people,” he says. “You want to know if they have their own guards who are trained and know the facility, or if they just hire rental guards.”

Layne also recommends that collectors visit storage facilities periodically—“look at your stuff once in a while”—to confirm everything is still there. If a collector who hasn’t visited in months or years discovers something missing, “it becomes almost impossible to identify who might have stolen it. The trail gets cold.”

Collectors can take some of these precautions themselves, while others hire security consultants to assess their needs and implement protections. The International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection is one source of information, and fine art insurers often offer additional recommendations. Nothing is cheap, but Marinello notes that “we see an increase in spending on security measures after the fact” of a theft rather than before, which suggests many collectors don’t understand the risks they face. Buying art should be enjoyable—there’s the thrill of discovery, the chase, the acquisition. Ownership, ideally, should bring equal pleasure, but the threat of theft adds stress. While precautions can be costly, they may also provide peace of mind.

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