£430m of paintings stolen in Paris

[Hedley Lamarr]

pa.press.net, Updated: 20/05/2010 14:39
£430m of paintings stolen in Paris


AP


Police officers stand at the entrance of the Paris Museum of Modern Art (AP)
A lone thief has stolen five paintings worth a total of £430 million in an overnight raid on a Paris art museum.

The paintings, by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, George Braque, Amedeo Modigliani and Fernand Leger were taken from the Paris Museum of Modern Art, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower

Police have cordoned off the museum in one of the city's most popular tourist areas.

A single masked intruder was caught on a video surveillance camera entering the museum by a window and taking the paintings away, the Paris prosecutors said.

The paintings were Le Pigeon Aux Petits-Pois (The Pigeon With The Peas) by Picasso, Pastoral by Matisse, Olive Tree Near Estaque by Braque, Woman With A Fan by Modigliani and Still Life With Chandeliers by Leger.

Red-and-white tape surrounded the museum, where investigators were studying surveillance video. Signs on the doors said it was closed for technical reasons.

On a cordoned-off balcony behind the museum, police examined the broken window and empty painting frames. The paintings appeared to have been carefully removed from their frames, not sliced out.

A security guard at the museum said the paintings were discovered missing by a night watchman just before 7am.

Museum officials and police would not comment on reports that the alarm system had malfunctioned or been disabled.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said he was "saddened and shocked by this theft, which is an intolerable attack on Paris's universal cultural heritage."


Mymoney is on Sean Connery.

[Minder]

I am sure the Gallery directors face was a picture when he was told of the news.

[Orior]

I am sure the Gallery directors face was a picture when he was told of the news.

Was he being framed?

[Puckoon]

I hear he left a couple of prints behind.

[13aside]

i hope he didn't make an exhibition of himself!!

[Capt Pat]

With 430 million worth of paintings to get rid of on the black market, I am sure he will be easely captured.

[armaghniac]

Who wants a crowd of nudey women on your wall anyway.

[Doogie Browser]

The security guard was asleep on the job, he is fond of his booze, a bit of a piss artist by all accounts.

[take_yer_points]

I hear he left a couple of prints behind.

I'm sure the police will be brushing for them

[Tony Baloney]

The robbers shouldn't Dali as there is a lot of Monet at stake here.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone Turner's them in to the nearest Constable.

[Puckoon]

I hear he left a couple of prints behind.

I'm sure the police will be brushing for them

If they find one it will be a stroke of good fortune.

[armaghniac]

When he had the Picasso,the Matisse, the Braque, and the Modigliani the thief decided that it time to Leger out of there.

[stew]

The security guard was asleep on the job, he is fond of his booze, a bit of a piss artist by all accounts.

The secuity guard, yer man steals 430 millions worth of art from some of the greats and they have One security guard on?

Has to be an inside job, somebody was helping this guy.

They will get him, this is too high profile a case for them to lose such paintings.

[Bogball XV]

The security guard was asleep on the job, he is fond of his booze, a bit of a piss artist by all accounts.

The secuity guard, yer man steals 430 millions worth of art from some of the greats and they have One security guard on?

Has to be an inside job, somebody was helping this guy.

They will get him, this is too high profile a case for them to lose such paintings.

dear jaysus stew, dear jaysus......  You sure you haven't been smoking a bit of weed or something?

The robbers shouldn't Dali as there is a lot of Monet at stake here.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone Turner's them in to the nearest Constable.

the winner

[gerry]

Cost of a balaclava : £3

Cost of a crow bar : £10

Cost of the Picasso, Matisse sand Modigliani paintings from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris : £500,000,000

No being able to sell them on the black market : Priceless