Heavy Dalí book stolen from French art centre
L’Apocalypse, a unique art book featuring contributions by Salvador Dalí, disappeared from a centre in Issoire.
L’Apocalypse, an exceptionally heavy book, was stolen from an art centre in the French town of Issoire during the night from Sunday to Monday. The work contains contributions by several artists, including Salvador Dalí, and is considered a unique object, according to the Clermont-Ferrand public prosecutor’s office.
L’Apocalypse was compiled in 1958 by the French publisher Joseph Foret. The book was inspired by the Book of Revelation and, according to French media, contains contributions from fourteen twentieth-century artists and writers. Salvador Dalí designed the cover, which also made the work known beyond specialist book and art circles.
Initial reports differ on the book’s weight. TF1 Info puts it at approximately 210 kilograms, while the Spanish radio station Cadena SER mentions around 150 kilograms. In both cases, it is an object that cannot be taken away unnoticed by one person; its precise dimensions and exact weight still need to be confirmed.
According to TF1, the public prosecutor’s office describes the book as an exceptional and unique work of art. No exact value has been made public. Reports do mention a value of several million euros, but without an independent valuation that amount cannot be regarded as established.
The theft was discovered after the work disappeared from the art centre. The French authorities have launched an investigation. The publicly available sources consulted contain no reliable information about suspects, how the book was taken or whether the work has already been recovered.
The case fits into a broader discussion about security at museums, archives and smaller art institutions. Rare books and artists’ books are often difficult to sell through regular channels, but their components may be recognisable individually. For the centre in Issoire, the first priority is recovering the book and establishing the circumstances of the theft.
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The core of the report is confirmed by two public sources. Conflicting details about the weight and value have not been presented as firm facts.
- confirmed L’Apocalypse was stolen in Issoire. — Reported by TF1 Info and Cadena SER. source
- confirmed Salvador Dalí designed the cover. — Described in both sources. source
- uncertain The book weighs between 150 and 210 kilograms. — The initial reports give different weights. source
- uncertain The value is several million euros. — This is a media report without a published independent valuation. source
Editor's note
The theft and Dalí’s involvement are well substantiated. The weight and value differ between initial reports and have therefore been presented as uncertain.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „salvador dalí”
- Trouw — „salvador dalí”
- NRC — „salvador dalí”