Museum Accident

In the museum world, the new accident: in Paris, the National Museum of Contemporary Art abducted five paintings by famous artists - Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Leger, Modigliani.

Theft from museums - not uncommon and spread throughout the world. Occasionally even that one and the same institution being robbed several times, as it was with Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo. Yet, for misappropriation from the Paris National Museum of Modern Art first hear no argument.

France Info radio reports that on the night from Wednesday to Thursday, unidentified burglars broke into the castle of iron fence, cut glass in the window and entered the premises of the museum. Aesthetic taste of these people have turned out to be quite developed: they brought with them the five paintings by artists of the Paris School, "whose names are known throughout the world. Expropriated "pigeon with green peas" Pablo Picasso, "Pastorale" by Henri Matisse, "Oliva near Estaka" Georges Braque (he, along with Picasso regarded as the father of cubism), "Woman with a Fan" by Amedeo Modigliani, "Still Life with candlesticks" Fernand Leger. Loss, as usual, found in the morning. For details of the accident is not yet reported on the police version, too, have not yet heard.

As is clash assessment kidnapped called the amount of 500 million euros.

It was not clear where did this figure: in any case, it does not look very plausible. Judge for yourself. At a recent Christie's auction for Picasso's "Nude on a background of green leaves and bust" was paid just over $106 million. This, as everyone remembers, and there is a new world record price - not only for the works of Picasso, but in general fine art. After counting the amount of dollars into euros at the current rate, we get over 84 million, so much is the most expensive painting in the world. Works by other authors whose names appear in the criminal list, to record Picasso never reach. It turns out, even hypothetical auction precedents do not allow to collect the required 500 million euros over five canvases.

The museum exhibits the same valuation, usually more conservative than the auction.

But in any case, theft is expensive. True, the picture will be difficult to implement: the image is too well known, but the fact of abduction had already trumpeted around the world. The version of the maniac collectors, who could order a steal and then hide the fabric somewhere in the secret room to admire them alone seemed too cinematics. More likely scenario is that the criminals will require redemption at the museum itself, I mean the state. Although the pay they would be unlikely to discourage this business. Presumably, most Parisian museum workers now rely on the fact that the police will disclose it in hot pursuit. And all other custodians of cultural values surely rushed to check the bolts and test the alarm: from such cases, no one is immune.

Meanwhile it became known that the robbery of the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, made a lone thief. According to France Info, surveillance camera recorded the robber, on his head was a hood. Also according to the mayor of Paris, the cost of stolen paintings by Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Modigliani and Leger five times lower than initially claimed and is 90-100 million euros.

I always thought that everything was safe and secure in that kind of places but I guess I was wrong. Wow!