In 1985, Willem de Kooning’s “Woman-Ochre,” one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, vanished into the Arizona desert after being cut from its frame at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. 32 years later, the $160 million painting was found hanging in the home of Jerry and Rita Alter in rural New Mexico.
The Thief Collector is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Allison Otto. It tells the story of Woman-Ochre, a valuable Willem de Kooning oil painting, and the New Mexico married couple that allegedly stole it in 1985.