Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse paintings stolen from an Italian museum
Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse, with a total value of several million euros, were stolen during a robbery at the Magnani-Rocca Foundation near Parma. The robbery of the private museum, according to local police, happened last week, on the night of March 23, writes the BBC.
"Fish" by Renoir
Among the stolen works are Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Fish", Paul Cézanne's "Still Life with Cherries", and Henri Matisse's "Odalisque on the Terrace".
There were four robbers, according to the police. The masked perpetrators broke down the entrance door, entered one of the halls on the ground floor, and left with the masterpieces through the museum garden.
The entire operation lasted less than three minutes and was, according to law enforcement officials, well-planned and organized.
The robbers, as Italian media report, were apparently startled by the triggered alarm: they left a fourth painting, which they presumably intended to steal, inside.
"Still Life with Cherries" by Paul Cézanne
Currently, the police are studying surveillance camera footage from the museum, as well as from neighboring properties.
The Magnani-Rocca Foundation, 20 kilometers from Parma, houses the art collection of art critic Luigi Magnani, which also includes works by Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, and Monet. The foundation was established in 1977.
This robbery is another in a series of art world crimes.
Last October, perpetrators broke into the Louvre in Paris in broad daylight and stole jewelry worth $100 million.
The Louvre robbery took the perpetrators less than eight minutes. There were four robbers; according to the investigation, they acted according to a well-coordinated plan.
According to authorities, the criminals stole eight items — tiaras, necklaces, earrings, and brooches. All of them date back to the 19th century and once belonged to the families of French kings and emperors.
Several suspects have since been arrested, but the whereabouts of the stolen items remain unknown.
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