Since the beginning of the year, the museum has lost track of the two small-format paintings, framed and under glass: a Robert van den Hoecke from the middle of the 17th century depicting soldiers in their camp and a still life with a vase of flowers. by Dirck de Bray dating from 1673, recognized the Kunsthaus in Zürich in a press release released on Tuesday.
"As a theft can no longer be ruled out, the museum called in the police and filed a complaint on January 13,"
said the Kunsthaus, which set up a crisis unit.
These two small paintings - which are on permanent loan from private collectors - had been taken down at the same time as nearly 700 other works in order to be cleaned and restored by the services of the museum, where a fire had broken out on the night of 2 to August 3.
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"The possibility that, despite the implementation of important security measures, works are currently untraceable, shakes us"
, acknowledged the director Ann Demeester.
“For generations, collectors have entrusted their treasures to the Kunsthaus.
Nearly three-quarters of our collection of paintings and sculptures are donations from individuals or permanent loans"
, admitted the director, adding that her establishment had every intention of learning the lessons of this episode but that the absolute priority remains to find the two works.
No other item, among all those taken down after the fire, is missing from the meticulous inventory that was carried out.
“We are keeping our eyes and ears open in case the works are still in the house
,” Ms. Demeester added.
The museum has had both paintings listed in the Art Lost Register, the world's largest database of lost and stolen works of art.
The Kunsthaus is also conducting its own investigation.
According to the museum's website, the Kunsthaus' collections include nearly 4,000 paintings and sculptures and 95,000 graphic works, which range from the 13th century to the present day.
About 1000 of them are on permanent display.