2 Men Are Charged With Stealing a Famous Banksy Artwork
Time5 days
Stolen Banksy Painting Found, Two Arrested
Above: The painting Girl with Baloon by Banksy in the exhibition Modern Masters at the Moco Museum in Amsterdam, on August 26, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. Image copyright: Steve Christo/Contributor/Corbis News via Getty Images
The Facts
Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of the "Girl with Balloon" painting — made by the anonymous street artist Banksy — from the Grove Gallery in London, England, on Sept. 8.
The painting, valued at £270K ($354K), has also been found and returned to the gallery.
The Spin
Narrative A
The men who stole this painting not only attacked a beloved piece of art by an incredible artist, but they terrified those who run the gallery, given that this was the first robbery they'd ever dealt with. Although they'll now have to put the piece in a vault for safekeeping, the gallery will receive a bit of cosmic justice, as the piece is likely to increase in value.
Narrative B
While no one's art should ever be stolen, especially from a private gallery, society also shouldn't have such high regard for Banksy. Since he's labeled a "street artist," he's free to roam the world painting on public walls, but if a so-called "graffiti artist" does the same, they'll get slapped with fines or even sent to prison. Either both types of artists should be punished, or neither.