Three minutes is enough time to make instant ramen. Or steal $10 million in art. Authorities found that out the hard way after a band of thieves broke into the front door of the Magnani-Rocca Foundation outside Parma, Italy, and took off with three valuable paintings in a flash, reports the New York Times.
The stolen works included “Les Poissons” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, estimated to be worth nearly $7 million alone, Paul Cézanne’s “Still Life With Cherries,” and Henri Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace.” A fourth artwork was abandoned at the scene after the thieves were interrupted by the museum’s security system.
The museum representatives told Sky News that the heist was “part of a structured and organized operation” and seemed well planned. It’s the latest brazen theft to hit the art world, coming less than six months after thieves broke into the Louvre in Paris and stole crown jewels in broad daylight. Experts say such heists have surged in recent years as cryptocurrencies and technology make it easier to launder stolen art.
Three minutes is enough time to make instant ramen. Or steal $10 million in art. Authorities found that out the hard way after a band of thieves broke into the front door of the Magnani-Rocca Foundation outside Parma, Italy, and took off with three valuable paintings in a flash, reports the New York Times.
The stolen works included “Les Poissons” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, estimated to be worth nearly $7 million alone, Paul Cézanne’s “Still Life With Cherries,” and Henri Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace.” A fourth artwork was abandoned at the scene after the thieves were interrupted by the museum’s security system.
The museum representatives told Sky News that the heist was “part of a structured and organized operation” and seemed well planned. It’s the latest brazen theft to hit the art world, coming less than six months after thieves broke into the Louvre in Paris and stole crown jewels in broad daylight. Experts say such heists have surged in recent years as cryptocurrencies and technology make it easier to launder stolen art.
