We explore how safe museums are from theft now that they are closed and cities are under lockdown due to the coronavirus. We talk to Martin Bailey about the recent theft of a Van Gogh in the Netherlands, the history of stolen Van Goghs and who steals art and why. We also talk to Vernon Rapley, the head of security at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, about how safe the museum is as London’s streets remain deserted. Plus, Laura Cumming picks the latest Lonely Work behind closed doors in a museum: Pieter Breugel the Elder’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus from the Musée des Beaux Arts in Brussels. And we have a special contribution from the artist—and cartoonist for The Art Newspaper—Pablo Helguera.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (around 1560) Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
The Week in Art podcast by The Art Newspaper is available every Friday on our website and all the usual places where you find podcasts. This podcast is brought to you in association with Christie's.
• Read all of our coverage on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the art world here. You can find useful resources and creative inspiration, including a list of our favourite arty podcasts, here.