Thief Walks Out of San Francisco Gallery With $20K Salvador Dali Work

A $20,000 piece of Salvador Dali art was stolen from a gallery in San Francisco, and gallery officials are hoping security video will help lead police to the thief.

The piece called "The Burning Giraffe" was supposed to be locked to an easel at the Dennis Rae Fine Arts Gallery. The gallery's director said a man walked away with the large framed piece Sunday, carrying it right down the street.

Security video shows a man walking down Geary Boulevard toward Union Square Sunday afternoon, carrying a large frame.

"He just grabbed it and walked off," gallery Director Angela Kellett said. "We don't know where the secure device is."

Kellett said she's not sure how the man walked out with it in hand without anyone noticing.

"It's a copper plate first etched by Picasso, a collaborative work," she said. Security cameras captured the thief walking down Geary then disappearing down Powell Street. Kellett is hoping the Dali turns up, and the gallery can continue operating with an open-door policy.

"That's why this makes us sad because we don't want to become where we are fearing this kind of thing," she said. "We want everyone to feel welcome."

Kellett says at this point it will be hard to sell the piece because collectors know it's stolen.

The gallery is asking anyone who knows the suspect or has seen "The Burning Giraffe" to call police.

Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

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