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 director of cultural heritage protection & 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 Bruegel the Elder’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. And we have a special contribution from the artist—and cartoonist for The Art Newspaper—Pablo Helguera. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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