Did a Dutch Municipality Accidentally Dispose of a Warhol Print?

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A silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands may have been put to the trash in a renovation, along with dozens of other works

Lillian Ali – Staff Contributor

April 30, 2025 9:41 a.m.

In a startling revelation, the municipality of Maashorst in the Netherlands has admitted to potentially discarding tens of thousands of dollars worth of artwork during a recent town hall renovation. On Thursday, local officials released a letter confirming that they “most likely” disposed of 46 pieces of artwork amidst construction activities last year.

A highlight among the missing items is a vibrant silkscreen print by renowned American artist Andy Warhol, featuring Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. This piece is part of Warhol’s notable Reigning Queens series, which includes portraits of various royal figures such as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini. Opinions on the current market value of the lost Beatrix piece vary significantly; while the BBC reported its worth to be around $17,000, art authenticators like Richard Polsky claim it could fetch up to $50,000.

“That’s not how you treat valuables,” commented Maashorst’s Mayor Hans van der Pas, as quoted by Dutch broadcaster Omroep Brabant. “But it did happen. We regret that.”

An independent inquiry, initiated by the municipality, concluded that confusion over the responsibility for the artworks, combined with inadequate procedures for their handling during the renovation, likely led to their disposal. Despite the investigation, the precise fate of the pieces remains unclear. In their letter, Maashorst officials expressed their belief that recovery of the artworks is improbable.

During the renovation process, many of the artworks were reportedly stored in wheeled bins located in the town hall’s basement, exposing them to potential damage from dust and water. The print of Queen Beatrix, which was last located in September 2023, is significant in size, as most pieces from the Reigning Queens series measure approximately 40 by 31 inches.

Arthur Brand, an independent art detective based in Amsterdam, asserted that this incident underscores a broader issue: the negligence of institutions and governments in managing their art collections. He characterized the disappearance of the artworks as a matter of “carelessness,” rather than theft.

“I hope someone took it,” Brand commented. “I’d be fine with that person keeping it, because that way the print is safer than with the municipality itself.”

This incident is not the first of its kind involving Warhol’s royal portraits in the Netherlands. In 2024, a notorious theft occurred at the MPV Gallery in Oisterwijk, where thieves utilized explosives in an attempt to steal multiple Reigning Queens pieces. Gallery owner Mark Peet Visser shared with the Associated Press that they managed to escape with portraits of Elizabeth II and Margrethe II, but the prints of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi Tfwala sustained irreparable damage and were later found abandoned.

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