The theft of precious and valuable art has been very much in the headlines this year. The most audacious was the daylight heist of crown jewel from the Louvre two months ago.
It has since emerged the thieves evaded Parisian police with just 30 seconds to spare. Leading expert and award-winning art historian, Dr Penelope Jackson, has written sand contributed to books about the intersection of art and crime.
She became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art crime research and visual arts. Her latest title focuses on thefts close to home - Unseen: Art and Crime in Australia.
Dr Jackson speaks to Culture 101 about the fascination with art and crime and why writing about it can be complicated and difficult.
Dr Penelope Jackson Photo: Massey University
