FOXNews.com - Official says religious beliefs appear to be behind the theft of 11 bronze statues in Tehran

FOXNews.com - Official says religious beliefs appear to be behind the theft of 11 bronze statues in Tehran

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4749756.stm Monet stolen under carnival cover The robbers disappeared among Carnival revellersGunmen have taken advantage of Brazil's carnival commotion to steal paintings by Picasso, Dali, Matisse and Monet from a Rio de Janeiro museum. The thieves reportedly brandished a hand grenade to threaten security guards at the Chacara do Ceu museum. They shut down the security cameras and then slipped away in a crowd of Samba revellers, said museum officials. Police numbers have been increased in Rio as the five-day celebration officially got under way on Friday. Disappeared Pablo Picasso's The Dance, Salvador Dali's The Two Balconies, Henri Matisse's Luxembourg Gardens and Claude Monet's Marine were stolen. The paintings were considered the museum's most valuable pieces but their exact value was not immediately available. "They took advantage of a carnival parade passing by the museum and disappeared into the crowd," said museum director Vera de Alencar. She said the robbery appeared to have been masterminded by specialists, probably from international gangs. A number of tourists who were visiting the museum at the time were also mugged by the gang. A nationwide alert has been issued by the federal police to try to prevent the artworks from leaving the country.

Picasso

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7154101.stm Picasso stolen from Brazil museum The paintings were highlights of the museum's collectionThieves in Brazil have stolen two paintings said to be worth $100m (£50m) in a dawn raid on Latin America's most renowned museum. Pablo Picasso's Portrait of Suzanne Bloch, and The Coffee Worker by Brazil's Candido Portinari, were taken from the Museum of Art of Sao Paulo. The theft lasted about three minutes and was caught on security cameras. A statement from museum officials said the institution had not suffered such a robbery in its 60-year history. Valuable pieces The theft, believed to have been carried out by three men, began at 0509 (0709 GMT) and finished at 0512, police said. The museum's security guards are thought to have been on another floor at the time. Portinari was an important Brazilian painter The thieves left behind some of their tools, and police have shut down the museum to search for clues, officials said. The Portrait of Suzanne Bloch, painted in 1904, is among the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection. The Coffee Worker (O Lavrador de Cafe) was painted in 1939 and is one of Portinari's most famous works. O Globo newspaper said that the museum's press service had estimated their joint worth at more than $100m. However, museum spokesman Eduardo Cosomano told the Associated Press news agency that it was difficult to judge their exact monetary value. A statement from museum said the two works were on display on the second floor but in different rooms. Museum officials said they were working with the local and federal police as well as Interpol and the Brazilian foreign ministry and that the building would remain closed while investigations are carried out. Thieves have targeted Brazil's museums before. In February 2006, a five-man gang stole works by Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Picasso and Claude Monet from a Rio de Janeiro museum. Two Picassos stolen in Brazil CCTV captures the thieves entering and leaving the museum Armed robbers in Sao Paulo in Brazil have stolen two Picasso engravings and two works by famous Brazilian artists. The men were seen on closed-circuit TV entering the Estacao Pinacoteca gallery in broad daylight, unmasked. A print from Picasso's The Painter and the Model series and Minotaur, Drinker and Women were taken. The stolen works were valued at $600,000 (£308,350). This is the second theft of work by Picasso in the centre of Sao Paulo in only six months. Two oil paintings by the Brazilian artists Emiliano Di Cavalcanti and Lasar Segall were also stolen. The museum says all the works are insured. Last year, Pablo Picasso's Portrait of Suzanne Bloch and The Coffee Worker by Brazil's Candido Portinari, were taken from the Museum of Art of Sao Paulo. The framed paintings were later recovered in perfect condition, leaning against a wall in a house on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7178298.stm Stolen Picasso found in Sao Paulo By Gary Duffy BBC News, Sao Paulo The retrieved pictures were under close guard as they went on showPolice in Brazil say they have recovered two paintings worth millions of dollars stolen last month from a museum in the centre of Sao Paulo. Two suspects were put under arrest over the theft of the works, by Pablo Picasso and the Brazilian artist Candido Portinari. The pictures were found undamaged leaning against a wall in a house on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Officials at the Museum of Art will be greatly relieved by their recovery. The theft of the paintings was a major embarrassment for the museum. Shortly after they were stolen it emerged that the two paintings, along with some 8,000 other works of art in the gallery, were not insured. Although there had been fears that the paintings had already been smuggled abroad they were in fact recovered in a district in the eastern part of the Sao Paulo metropolitan area, and two suspects were arrested. The two paintings are said to be worth at least $55m (£28m; 37m euros). Police were led to the house where the discovery was made by a suspect who had been arrested. The paintings were found covered in plastic, leaning against a wall. 'Never again' The Sao Paulo Museum of Art has been closed since the theft, and an increased police presence has been maintained around the building ever since. A simple hydraulic jack was used to prise open the museum entrance The three thieves used only a crow bar and a hydraulic car jack to break into the museum and stole the paintings in a matter of minutes. The recovered works of art have been examined by officials to confirm their authenticity and are said be in perfect condition. Both paintings were closely guarded as they were displayed at a police news conference. They will be returned to the museum in time for its reopening on Friday. The authorities have promised that security at the landmark building has been improved to ensure this kind of theft never happens again. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7515875.stm Brazil police find stolen Picasso Picasso's work was some of the 20th Century's most famous Police in Brazil have recovered an engraving by Pablo Picasso that was stolen from a museum in Sao Paulo. The Painter and the Model was taken in a daylight robbery in June from the state-owned Estacao Pinacoteca museum. Police said an arrested suspect had led them to the engraving, wrapped in a plastic bag and hidden in an attic, apparently in perfect condition. Another Picasso and two paintings by Brazilian artists stolen in the same robbery have not yet been recovered. The man arrested was held on suspicion of trying to steal a cash machine, but instead led police to the stolen Picasso. "We were taken by surprise," Inspector Cesar Carlos Dias told the Associated Press. "We were keeping an eye on [the suspect] and two other men because we had information they were planning to steal automatic teller machines and rob banks. "In a tapped phone conversation, the Picasso print was mentioned." The man, a 30-year-old Sao Paulo resident, was arrested on charges of robbery, police said. The two Picasso engravings and the other works stolen in June have a combined estimated value of 1 million Brazilian reals (US$630,000), museum officials have said. Sao Paulo has a history of art thefts: a painting by Picasso was among two works stolen from the city's Museum of Art that were recovered in January.

Picasso Sketchbook Stolen

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8091679.stm Paris theft of $11m Picasso works A sketchbook of some 32 drawings by Pablo Picasso worth about 8m euros ($11m; £6.8m) has been stolen from a museum in Paris, police have said. The theft from the Picasso Museum was discovered on Tuesday afternoon but the exact time and circumstances have yet to be determined. Initial investigations showed the sketchbook was held in an unlocked display case on the first floor. Picasso is regarded by many as the greatest artist of the 20th Century. Renovation Police sources told the Agence France-Presse news agency that the theft would probably have been committed between Monday evening and noon on Tuesday. Picasso is regarded by many as the greatest artist of the 20th Century There were no signs of a break-in an no alarms were set off. The museum was closed at the time although there was a private viewing on Tuesday. The museum's management have so far refused to comment on the theft. A special unit of the interior ministry, the BRB, has taken over handling of the case. An art insurance expert said the theft appeared to be "ill conceived and opportunistic". "It will be nearly impossible to shift the sketchbook on the open art market. The chances of an eventual recovery therefore should be very good," said Robert Korzinek, art expert at specialist art insurer Hiscox. The Picasso museum, housed in the 17th century Hotel Sale building in the Marais quarter in central Paris, is set to close this summer for at least two years for renovation work put at 20m euros. The museum contains more than 250 paintings and 1,500 drawings by the Spanish artist. Last month Picasso's portrait of a musketeer smoking a pipe sold for $14.6m in New York. Another painting, A Woman with a Hat, fetched $7.7m at the sale. Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain, in 1881. He was a key force behind the Cubist movement but his work spanned a number of different and varied periods. He died in France in 1973. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/5487441/Picasso-sketches-worth-8.6m-stolen-from-Paris-museum.html Picasso sketches worth £8.6m stolen from Paris museum A sketch book of drawings by Pablo Picasso valued at up to 10 million euros (£8.6m) was found to have been stolen from a Paris museum on Tuesday. By Our Foreign Staff Published: 5:07PM BST 09 Jun 2009 Officials at the Picasso Museum in central Paris discovered that the drawings were missing from an unlocked glass case while carrying out an inspection on Tuesday morning. It was thought the theft occurred overnight but police could not rule out the possibility that the collection of 32 sketches by the Spanish artist were stolen several days ago. Police said there were no signs of a break-in nor was the alarm set off at the Picasso Museum, which houses more than 250 paintings, 160 sculptures and 1,500 drawings by the artist. The sketch book was taken from a first-floor exhibition room at the museum located in Paris's fashionable Marais district. Works by Picasso, one of the most important artists of the 20th century, fetch record prices at auctions, and are often the subject of daring thefts. Two Picasso paintings worth an estimated 50 million euros were taken from the Paris home of Diana Widmaier-Picasso, the artist's granddaughter, in February 2007. Four Picasso works stolen from a museum in Sao Paulo, Brazil in June 2008 were recovered undamaged a few weeks later. It was closed yesterday after the theft was discovered and museum officials declined to comment.

Police: Thieves steal Picasso, Matisse, 3 other paintings from Paris modern art museum

FOXNews.com - Police: Thieves steal Picasso, Matisse, 3 other paintings from Paris modern art museum Police: Thieves steal Picasso, Matisse, 3 other paintings from Paris modern art museum Associated Press PARIS PARIS (AP) — Police say five paintings including masterpieces by Picasso and Matisse have been stolen from a Paris museum. PARIS (AP) — Police say five paintings including masterpieces by Picasso and Matisse have been stolen from a Paris museum. A Paris police official says the paintings were reported missing early Thursday at the Paris Museum of Modern Art. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the preliminary investigation is still under way. The official said the paintings were by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, George Braque, Amedeo Modigliani and Fernand Leger. Police and investigators have cordoned off the museum, across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower. A woman who answered the phone at the museum said questions about the theft would only be answered by the office of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe. Posted using ShareThis http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10130840.stm Five masterpieces stolen from Paris modern art museum Five paintings by Picasso, Matisse and other great artists have been stolen from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, police sources say. The paintings stolen are estimated to be worth some 500m euros (£431m; $618m), the sources say. They were taken overnight on Wednesday and reported missing early on Thursday, officials say. The museum, across the Seine river from the Eiffel Tower, has been cordoned off, reports say. The five missing paintings are said to be Le pigeon aux petits pois by Pablo Picasso, La pastorale by Henri Matisse, L'olivier pres de l'Estaque by Georges Braque, La femme a l'eventail by Amedeo Modigliani and Nature morte aux chandeliers by Fernand Leger. Officials at the museum discovered the theft early on Thursday when they found a window and a lock had been broken, sources said. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/7744545/Picasso-and-Matisse-stolen-from-Paris-museum-in-500-million-euro-raid.html Picasso and Matisse stolen from Paris museum in 500 million euro raid Five paintings, including masterpieces by Picasso and Matisse, were stolen from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris in a daring 500 million euro (£430 million) raid. € By Peter Allen in Paris Published: 11:20AM BST 20 May 2010 A Paris police official said the paintings were reported missing early on Thursday. The official said the paintings were by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, George Braque, Amedeo Modigliani and Fernand Leger. Police believe the theives smashed a reinforced glass window late on Wednesday night. According to the website Nouvel Observateur, the stolen paintings are: “Pigeon with peas” by Pablo Picasso; “Pastorale” by Henri Matisse; “Olive tree near l’Estaque” by Georges Braque; “Woman on the range” by Amédéo Modigliani; “Still life with candlesticks” by Fernand Léger Police and investigators have cordoned off the museum, across the river Seine from the Eiffel tower. "It's an enormous crime, one of the biggest in art history," said a source close to the enquiry. A woman who answered the phone at the museum said questions about the theft would only be answered by the office of Bertrand Delanoe, the Paris mayor. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100520/ap_on_en_ot/eu_france_museum_theft Paintings worth $613M stolen from Paris museum By ANGELA CHARLTON, Associated Press Writer Angela Charlton, Associated Press Writer – 9 mins ago PARIS – A lone thief stole five paintings worth a total of half a billion euros, including works by Picasso and Matisse, in a brazen overnight heist Thursday from a Paris modern art museum, police and prosecutors said. 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 thet paintings away, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. Their collective worth is estimated at euro500 million ($613 million), the prosecutor's office said. The paintings were "Le pigeon aux petits-pois" (The Pigeon with the Peas) 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. A woman who answered the phone at the museum said questions about the theft would only be answered by the office of Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. Delanoe's office did not immediately return calls for immediately comment. ___ Associated Press writer Greg Keller contributed to this report.

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