"Pastoral," by H. Matisse, 1905
The paintings were reported missing early Thursday from the Paris Museum of Modern Art, across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower, according to Paris police. Investigators have cordoned off the museum in one of the French capital's most tourist-frequented neighborhoods.
A single masked intruder was caught on a video surveillance camera entering the museum by a window and taking the paintings away, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.
Their collective worth is estimated at EURO500 million, the prosecutor's office said.
The paintings were "Le pigeon aux petits-pois" by Pablo Picasso, "Pastoral" by Henri Matisse, "Olive Tree near Estaque" by Georges Braque, "Woman with a Fan" by Amedeo Modigliani and "Still Life with Chandeliers" by Fernand Leger.
The Associated Press
1 comment:
It is amazing this could happen, especially in Paris. If this was some art novice, maybe they'll catch the guy trying to resell it. If he has some knowledge about the art world, he'll know there will not be a market for well known works unless it gets sold to some private collector with dubious morals.
J.D., if you like history and art, check out books like THE MONUMENTS MEN, the photo companion RESCUING DA VINCI, or THE RAPE OF EUROPE (also the name of the documentary that shows up on PBS from time to time). It is about the Nazi's massive looting operations during WWII and the Allies who worked to retrieve the great art works.
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