Town hall accidentally bins Andy Warhol print of former Dutch Queen
An Andy Warhol print of the former Dutch queen is believed to have been accidentally binned by staff at a town hall.
The silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix was among 45 artworks likely to have been thrown away during renovations of Uden town hall in the Netherlands in 2023.
Maashorst municipality officials confirmed on Thursday that the missing artworks, valued at €22,000 (£18,700), were likely disposed of in council rubbish vans and incinerated at a local waste centre, an investigation by the Dutch municipalities found.
'That is no way to treat valuable items,' said Hans van der Pas, Maashorst mayor. 'But it happened, and we're sorry.'
Among the lost works was a Warhol print of former Dutch Queen Beatrix from his 1985 'Reigning Queens' series, valued at around €15,000 (£12,800).
The series had portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Beatrix, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini (Swaziland).
The investigation revealed the artworks were stored in the basement of Uden town hall during 2023 renovations.
'Not handled with care'
They were moved multiple times and damaged by a water leak. Some were placed in wheelie bins and 'not handled with care', according to investigators.
They cited several factors for the loss: unclear ownership documentation, lack of proper procedures during renovation, insufficient action when items were discovered missing, and no guidelines for artwork registration, storage and security.
The loss happened while Uden was being incorporated into the new Maashorst municipality.
The Warhol print was last seen in September 2023 with water damage before disappearing completely by October.
Officials say the artworks will likely never be recovered.
The investigation, conducted from November to March, will not be fully published to protect interviewees' privacy.
The case comes months after another incident involving Warhol's works in the Netherlands, when thieves attempted to steal four prints from the same 'Reigning Queens' series from a gallery in North Brabant province.
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