15 minutes are up: Warhol print probably discarded by accident in the Netherlands

One fewer of Pittsburgh-born pop artist Andy Warhol’s works is accounted for after a Dutch town hall admitted to probably throwing it out.

The silkscreen print of then-reigning Queen Beatrix is one of 46 artworks misplaced by Maashorst municipality, according to the BBC.

It seems that the paintings were improperly stored while renovations were taking place on the borough’s town hall.

“It’s most likely that the artworks were accidentally taken away with the trash,” the Maashorst municipality said in a statement.

“Doesn’t everyone recognize that as a Warhol? You don’t even have to know anything about art, you can see that right away,” said Arthur Brand, an independent art detective in Amsterdam who was interviewed by the New York Times.

Warhol — who was born and raised in Pittsburgh and attended Schenley High School and the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) — certainly had a recognizable style. A titan of the Pop Art movement, he was particularly well-known for his vibrant screenprinting work of popular products and, especially, portraits of celebrities.

He created works featuring legendary faces including Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Mick Jagger and Dolly Parton.

His “Reigning Queens” series of screenprints was created and shown in 1985, less than two years before Warhol’s death in 1987. The series consisted of four silkscreen portraits each of four different monarchs: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Ntfombi Twala of Eswatini.

Queen Beatrix reigned in the Netherlands from 1980 until she abdicated in 2013. Her son, Willem-Alexander, is the current king.

CNN reports that the 46 artworks were worth about $25,000 in total, though Richard Polsky of Richard Polsky Art Authentication estimated that the Warhol alone would be valued at $40,000-$50,000, according to the New York Times.

An independent investigation was conducted after the artworks were reported missing last November. The print was part of a collection originally owned by the borough of Uden, which became part of Maashorst after a merger three years ago, according to The Guardian.

“This is not how you treat valuable items,” Maashorst mayor Hans van der Pas said to public broadcaster NOS. “It is a serious matter when public property, especially art with cultural and historic value, is treated so carelessly … But it happened. We regret that.”

The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh declined to comment on the matter.