On the night of 4 to 5 October, a bronze cover for a unique edition of *The Apocalypse of St John*, created by Salvador Dalí, was stolen from the private C. Karoutzos Centre for Contemporary Art in Issous, France. This was reported by the Clermont-Ferrand public prosecutor’s office, according to Le Figaro, citing AFP.
Briefly about the main points
- A bronze book cover designed by Salvador Dalí has been stolen in Issouari.
- The cover weighs around 150 kg, not 210 kg like the book as a whole.
- The Clermont-Ferrand Gendarmerie is investigating a theft; the circumstances of the incident have not been made public.
- In 1960, the publication was valued at 2 million French francs.
What exactly was stolen from the arts centre?
The Public Prosecutor’s Office described the stolen item as a case or cover «The Books of the Apocalypse» and described it as an exceptional and unique work of great value. Therefore, this is not a case of the confirmed theft of the entire book, weighing approximately 210 kg, but specifically of its bronze binding.
The investigation has been entrusted to the Clermont-Ferrand gendarmerie unit. The police have not publicly disclosed how the thieves gained access to the private art centre or any other details of the theft.
What makes Dali’s work unique?
Salvador Dalí created a bronze cover, adorned with gold, precious stones and shells. It weighs approximately 150 kg. The «Apocalypse of St John» itself exists as a single copy, contains around 150 parchments and weighs approximately 210 kg together with the cover. The project was initiated by the publisher Joseph Foré In 1958, whilst this unique edition was produced between 1959 and 1961.
Publication history and valuation
Seven artists and seven writers were involved in the project. Among them were Next: Jean Cocteau, Bernard Buffet and Jean Jono. Following its international screenings between 1961 and 1972, the film was kept in Switzerland for a time, and later travelled to Japan.
In 2003, the work was acquired by Christian Karouzos — the owner and founder of a private art centre in Issouar. In 1960, the book was valued at 2 million French francs and was then described as the most expensive book in the world.
The French media cite a current estimate of several million euros, but the public prosecutor’s office has not disclosed an official figure for the losses. For this reason, the current value of the stolen cover cannot be regarded as having been publicly established.
