Three English men went on trial yesterday for their alleged 2019 theft of a satirical golden toilet from an art exhibit at the sprawling 18th-century Blenheim Palace in southern England. Prosecutors claim five men broke through a window and removed the functioning, 200-pound gold toilet in under five minutes. The three men deny the charges, while a fourth pleaded guilty to burglary. The toilet has not been recovered.
The piece—insured for $6M—was created by artist Maurizio Cattelan in 2016, an Italian known for creating provocative pieces often for comic effect (see images). Titled “America,” the piece debuted at New York’s Guggenheim Museum where hundreds of thousands used it. In 2019, the piece was moved to Blenheim Palace, the traditional seat of the Dukes of Marlborough where Winston Churchill was born (whose father was the third son of the Duke).
The theft occurred days after the exhibition of Cattelan’s works opened. The 18-karat gold—roughly 75% pure—is believed to have been quickly melted down and sold.
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