A Banksy work stolen from a London exhibition and recovered by police could skyrocket in value, according to the gallery manager.
Two men have been charged with the theft of the print “Girl with Balloon”, which was snatched from the Grove Gallery on Sunday night by a hooded figure who smashed the glass door.
CCTV footage shows the burglar making a hole just big enough to squeeze through, before ripping the artwork off the wall and fleeing.
The print has been returned and two men, Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, have been charged with non-residential burglary and taken into custody.
Gallery manager Lindor Mehmetaj said he hoped the alleged theft might have even increased its value.
Banksy’s Balloon Girl print now sits in a nondescript office inside the gallery, wrapped in a police evidence bag, and the other artworks have been removed and stored in a secure location.
Two men have been charged with the theft of the Girl With Balloon print, which was snatched from the Grove Gallery on Sunday night by a hooded figure who smashed the glass door.
More than £1.8m worth of artwork was on display when thieves broke into the art gallery.
“Normally when artworks and masterpieces are stolen, the financial value can skyrocket,” he said. “Previously, I would say the limited edition signed Banksy was valued at around £270,000. Whether its value has doubled, tripled or quadrupled, we’ll have to wait and see, but that’s usually what happens.”
At the time, there was more than £1.8m worth of artwork on display at the gallery, which is currently hosting an exhibition of the artist’s work called Breakout: Banksy’s London Rebellion.
The stolen piece now sits in a nondescript office inside the gallery, wrapped in a police evidence bag, and the other artworks have been removed and stored in a secure location.
Fraser, from Beckton in east London, and Love, from North Stifford, Essex, appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and will appear again at Kingston Crown Court on October 9.
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