Dali-designed bronze 'Book of the Apocalypse' stolen from French museum
A book with a bronze cover designed by Salvador Dali was taken from a contemporary art centre in Issoire, France, with outlets differing on how the work and its value are described.
What happened
A book designed by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali was stolen from an art museum in central France.23
The piece, known as the 'Book of the Apocalypse', features a bronze cover and was taken from the contemporary art centre in the town of Issoire.23
The prosecutor's office in Clermont-Ferrand confirmed the theft and described the piece as 'highly valuable'.2
TASS identified the work as Joseph Foret's 'Apocalypse', featuring a bronze-plated cover designed by Dali, and reported it weighs more than 200 kg.4
What's agreed
Reported consistently by outlets in more than one region.
Where accounts differ
Each account is attributed to who makes it. We do not judge between them.
Description and attribution of the stolen work
France 24, via Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor's office
The item is a book designed by Dali, called the 'Book of the Apocalypse', with a bronze cover, described as highly valuable.2
TASS
The item is Joseph Foret's 'Apocalypse', featuring a bronze-plated cover designed by Dali, described as one of the most expensive books in the world and weighing more than 200 kg.4
How it's framed
What each perspective puts first, based on headlines and summaries.
| Perspective | How it reads | What it puts first |
|---|---|---|
| Russian state-controlled mediaRussia & Eurasia | RT and TASS both frame the theft around the scale of the value and, in TASS's case, the physical weight and specific authorship details of the book, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the object stolen.14 | multimillion-euro value, record weight, expensive book framing |
| French public broadcasterEurope | France 24 relies directly on statements from the Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor's office, focusing on official confirmation of the theft and the location in Issoire.2 | official confirmation, specific location, prosecutor's description |
| Southeast Asian privately owned pressSoutheast Asia | Malay Mail presents a brief wire-style report centered on the artist's name and the 'heist' framing, with minimal additional detail beyond the basic fact of the theft.3 | artist name recognition, heist language |
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed reported when exactly the theft occurred or how the museum's security was breached.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported a monetary estimate of the book's value beyond general descriptions like 'highly valuable' or 'one of the most expensive.'
- None of the outlets reviewed reported whether any suspects have been identified or arrested.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported the museum's or French authorities' response to the theft beyond the prosecutor's initial confirmation.
Why it matters
Sources (4)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Europe
- 2France 24FRPublic broadcaster
Russia & Eurasia
- 1RTRUState-controlled
- 4TASSRUState-controlled
One of most expensive books in world, weighing more than 200 kg, stolen in France
Southeast Asia
- 3Malay MailMYPrivate
Salvador Dali’s bronze ‘Book of the Apocalypse’ stolen in French museum heist