“The museum suffered a crisis in July 1994, when burglars broke into the jewel room and stole 103 pieces worth $1.6 million, including most of the bibelot collection. The biggest art heist in Kentucky history remained a mystery for five years, and then a group of Ohio thieves was caught and convicted. Unfortunately, the bibelots apparently had been dismantled and sold as scrap for a fraction of their value.”
— Tom Eblen, Lexington Herald-Leader
I made a visit to the Jewel Room at the Headley-Whitney Museum only once, many years ago, and I was deeply inspired by the capacity to bring raw imagination into physical manifestation. The heartbreaking theft of numerous bibelot masterworks makes it nearly impossible for me to return and view a diminished collection. I have dedicated this series of miniatures to my vivid memory of what used to be.
Dedicated to the lost masterworks of George Headley.
Click on a thumbnail image to preview each miniature.
