According to the newspaper, the employee, a 51-year-old man, worked as a technician at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich but also moonlighted as a freelance artist.
The Pinakothek der Moderne houses works by Salvador Dalí and Henri Matisse, which can sell for tens of millions of dollars.
Police told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the man hoped that smuggling his works into the museum would help him achieve an “artistic breakthrough.”
The art world is notoriously difficult to break into, often requiring not only skill but also connections and name recognition. Artists like Vincent Van Gogh were often dismissed during their lifetime.
This incident appears to show someone going to extreme lengths to try to short-circuit this process.
The now-fired employee had access to the showrooms outside of opening hours, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported. At one point, he hung his painting on a gallery wall, although it’s unclear how long it took before anyone noticed, according to the newspaper.
After its discovery, it was returned to the worker, according to the newspaper. The man was removed from the premises and was fired, it was added.
Police are currently investigating the man for a lesser offense: property damage.
According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, he drilled two holes in the wall to install his painting, which could cause damage to the museum.
Pinakothek der Moderne did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
In an incident last November, also in Germany, another artist attempted a similar strategy, although she was significantly more successful.
Danai Emmanouilidis smuggled his painting into an exhibition at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. The museum praised the artworkwhich has since been auctioned off, with the proceeds going to a refugee arts charity.
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