Newport Beach : Oil Painting Stolen From Lido Isle Gallery
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An uninsured oil painting depicting a young Russian woman valued at $15,000 was stolen from a Lido Isle art gallery Thursday evening, police said.
The painting, entitled “Natasha,” was taken from the Verdult Art Gallery in the 3000 block of Via Lido. The 24-by-63-inch painting, done in pastel colors, depicted a golden-haired woman in Russian garb holding a bouquet of flowers
“I took painstaking time on that one, darn it,” said William Verdult, 48, the gallery owner who painted the stolen artwork. “I always wonder why people steal from an artist. Artists give all their lives and don’t get much back when we’re alive. It’s like robbing the poor.”
Verdult, who lives in Newport Beach and owns one other gallery, said the Lido Isle establishment had been open less than two months and he was still “shopping for insurance.”
Police Lt. Jim Carson said the theft is under investigation.
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