A Thief Steals A $45K Bradley Theodore Painting From A NYC Hotel… Then Returns It The Next Day

Like the plot device from a art heist movie, namely “The Thomas Crown Affair”, a $45,000 painting was stolen from the Dream Downtown hotel in Chelsea then returned the very next day.

The picture, by artist Bradley Theodore, is portrait of the legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland portrayed as a colorful, skeletal figure. [see below]

According to sources at dnainfo.com the painting was stolen at around 3am from the the trendy hotel on West 16th Street.

The thief had long slicked-back dark hair, he sat at the bar casually enjoying a few cocktails with some of the hotel regulars. After finishing his drink and paying his tab he moved to the small gallery room, grabbed the painting and fled to the street.

The painting, insured for $45,000, was returned by private messenger service at around 7pm the next day, only 17 hours after it was stolen.

Investigators believe that upon learning that the police were searching for the artwork he was spooked into returning it unharmed… or maybe when he got it home he discovered that it didn’t go with the decor in his apartment, who knows.