robbery and fraud

Diana Vreeland Stops Art Thief From Beyond the Grave

Diana Vreeland, who once said she loved artifice, would have approved.
Diana Vreeland, who once said she loved artifice, would have approved. Photo: AP Photo

A portrait of Diana Vreeland, one of New York’s most recognizable fashion icons, was reportedly stolen from the Dream Downtown hotel in Chelsea at 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Painted by street artist Bradley Theodore, the portrait was insured for $45,000, according to the New York Daily News. It depicted a skeletal Vreeland in rainbow hues and holding a cigarette.

Photo: Courtesy of Bradley Theodore

“It’s one of my first pieces,” Theodore said. “They have a suspect [and] internal video of him jacking it. He walked right out with it from the lobby.”

But at around 7 p.m. on Monday, a messenger — presumably sent by the thief — showed up at the hotel with a package containing the missing painting. Upon learning the painting had been returned, Theodore said simply, “It’s been a weird day.”

Diana Vreeland Stops Thief From Beyond the Grave