Workers at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris noticed a broken window before noticing the 5 missing masterpiece in what was probably a commissioned art heist this morning. Picasso’s ‘Dove with Green Peas’ (1912), Matisse’s ‘Pastoral’ (1906), George Braque’s ‘Landscape with Olive Tree’ (1906), Amedeo Modogliani’s ‘Woman with a Fan’ (1919) and Fernand Leger’s ‘Still Life with a Chandelier’ (1922) were taken. Read more about it here.
I love a good art theft–I just finished a novel about an art theif after all–and what a loot! If it weren’t for the fact that now I’ll never be able to view the works myself, I would be impressed. Currently I’m just jealous.
I am both impressed, jealous & sad that so many people won’t be able to see these works of art any more. Also, most works of art get damaged when they get stolen, which is always a shame!
The Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris has a truly great collection, including two versions of La Danse by Matisse. I just wish people would hear about the collection without this kind of sad news.
http://davidikus.blogspot.com
This is a bummer in my book by any light. For exciting adventurous heists, they should go to Fort Knox or Tiffany’s. The only thing these robbers accomplish is to take cherished works of art away from the general public and into the tiny private realm of rich misanthropic collectors. Though often recovered, the risk of damage is great.
Is it weird that reading about these pieces being stolen is more depressing to me than missing children and strange murders?
I LOVE “Dove with Green Peas”! What if I never get to see it in person!? So sad.
Secretly, or not so secretly, I would totally love to have these fantastic works all to myself. It’s horrible, and selfish, etc, but I would. Which is prob why I get a bit of a thrill from things like this.
Your right of course that damage to works often happens, and it is sad. As is the fact that we won’t be seeing any of them…
Sad news, but thanks for making me aware of it… I had not even heard. It makes me think of the art heist here in Boston at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. The works have never been found. Too hot to put on the market they are believed to be in storage some where, in what conditions nobody knows. Damage is such a real possibility (they were cut from their frames).
My husband recently read a book by Myles Conner who is believed to have had some involvement. But for me. the idea of this known art thief profiting from his crimes as well as a book on how he did them, makes me sick.
At the Gardener Museum the frames of the stolen paintings still hang empty as a reminder of what the public missing & unable to see.
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Sally, the theft at the Gardner Museum was the biggest art theft ever, until this one. I’ve been and the empty frames are a sad reminder of the missing works. I like to think they are being well taken care of in some rich crooks home rather than moldering in storage.
Re: Conner, I’ve read a book by an art forger who basically does the same thing-profits from crimes he ‘allegedly’ committed.
The Scream returned fairly quickly so you may get to see these yet someday…hopefully.
Thomas Crown at it again?
Not an art theft, but a well-dressed gentleman-thief made headlines recently here when he walked into the Tiffany store and simply reached for some expensive watches and walked out again. The store employes were so surprised and stunned the thief made an easy escape.