A Dutch municipality has admitted it likely threw away dozens of artworks by mistake, including a rare Andy Warhol print of Queen Beatrix, during town hall renovations last year.
The incident occurred in Uden, which merged with Landerd in 2022 to form the new Maashorst municipality. Local officials said 46 artworks were placed in storage during the building work, but were probably discarded with construction waste.
In a statement released Thursday, the municipality said, “It’s most likely that the artworks were accidentally taken away with the trash.” One of the missing items, a Warhol silkscreen from the 1980s, was estimated to be worth €15,000 (USD 17,069). The total loss is valued at around €22,000 (USD 25,035).
An internal investigation found that the missing artworks had been stored in basement wheelie bins and were “not handled with care,” according to a Dutch newspaper. Investigators said officials failed to establish ownership of the items and had no clear policies for cataloguing or safeguarding them.
Daily Favorite Listing: “Queens: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands AP ( II.341) 1985” Limited Edition #Print, #Screenprint by Andy Warhol https://t.co/584vNJtpVh #artbrokerage #fineart #artgallery #Warhol #art #artwork #bluechipartist #NY #Queen #Buyart #artbuyers #artcollector pic.twitter.com/VAWz2jxKgU
— Art Brokerage (@theartbrokerage) January 8, 2020
The report noted that no procedures were in place for tracking, storing, or preserving the artworks. When the pieces were discovered missing, the municipality took limited action. The investigation concluded that poor planning, weak oversight, and a lack of accountability led to the loss.
Mayor Hans van der Pas acknowledged the mistake in an interview with public broadcaster Omroep Brabant. “That’s not how you treat valuables,” he said. “But it happened. We regret that.”
The lost print was part of Warhol’s Reigning Queens series, created in 1985, two years before the artist’s death. The series includes portraits of four royal figures: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
Queen Elizabeth II
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/Q4zALjFpUE
— gregorio catarino (@gregcatarino1) September 8, 2022
Queen Beatrix served as the Dutch monarch from 1980 until 2013, when she stepped down in favor of her son, King Willem-Alexander.
This isn’t the first time a Warhol print of Queen Beatrix has made headlines in the Netherlands. In November 2023, thieves stole four Warhol silkscreens from the MPV Gallery in North Brabant.
Two prints – those of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi – were later abandoned because they didn’t fit in the thieves’ car, according to public broadcaster NOS.
With one Warhol print discarded and another narrowly spared in a failed heist, concern is growing over how high-value artworks are handled by public institutions. The Maashorst municipality has pledged to review its storage and cataloguing processes to prevent similar losses in the future.
