Re: Mrs Figg's Art History Thread

[halfwise]

So an American art dealer was found to have a coffee table made of part of the dance floor of Caligula's barge.  She didn't know it until a photo book documenting ancient roman uses of porphyry came out.  Turns out it was part of a trove stolen by the Nazis, and her table in turn was seized and returned to Italy.  The museum that now has it is offering to make her a replica.  This will cost them tens of thousands, for it's exquisite work.  She should take them up on the offer.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/york-city-womans-coffee-table-060526760.html

[Mrs Figg]

I read about that, its an amazing story. You could hardly make up a story so random. From Caligula to New York, weird eh.

[Forest Shepherd]

Stranger than fiction, as they say.

[halfwise]

I don't know if this can be seen outside of the USA. It's very cute.

https://www.pbs.org/video/mona-lisa-is-missing-inbule/

[Mrs Figg]

I cant get t to play, but I know the story. It was an Italian who hated France. They got it back though. I think he hid it under his bed.

[halfwise]

His French co-workers kept calling him Mr Macaroni. He swore revenge against the entire French nation by restoring an Italian national treasure to its rightful home. Unfortunately for him the Mona Lisa was one of the few artworks in France that Napoleon DIDN'T swipe from Italy. It was bought directly from Leonardo himself by a French Nobleman. The thief could have been a national hero, but instead was thrown in the slammer.