Jump to content

Munch's Famous 'Scream' Stolen


Nic Thamaire

Recommended Posts

· Munch's Famous 'Scream' Stolen

 

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040822/capt.ny10708221133.norway_museum_theft_ny107.jpg'>

 

Edvard Munch's famous paintings 'The Scream,' shown in this undated file photo, 'Madonna (news - web sites)' and others were stolen from an art museum Sunday while stunned museum-goers watched armed men threatening the staff at gunpoint as they took the art work to a waiting car. (AP Photo/ho)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This forum is supported by the 12ozProphet Shop, so go buy a shirt and help support!
This forum is brought to you by the 12ozProphet Shop.
This forum is brought to you by the 12oz Shop.

I heard about this. They said it was the second time it was stolen in 10 years. They also said it's worth millions of dollars.

I for one do not see the point in stealing art. Since the inherent purpose of art is to show it. Who are you going to sell it to? Someone who is going to keep it locked in their basement where only they can see it? I don't understand. At any rate I get a kick out of the idea that armed men steal paintings....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by 26SidedCube

Really wealthy, classy criminals who only allow other wealthy, classy criminals into their homes?

 

The idea of a wealthy, classy criminal art gallery is also funny to me....

Like the idea of ancient babylonian artifacts being sold on ebay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

scream stolen

 

rmed robbers have stolen the iconic Edvard Munch painting, The Scream, from the Munch Museum in Norway.

 

Two masked thieves pulled the work and another painting, Madonna, off the wall as stunned visitors watched on Sunday.

 

One robber threatened staff with a gun before the pair escaped in a waiting car, a museum officer told the BBC.

 

The car was later recovered and police also found parts of picture frames near to where a witness reported seeing a suspect vehicle.

 

The Munch Museum said the two stolen paintings were among its most valuable - worth an estimated $19m (£10.4m)

together, according to the BBC's Lars Bevanger.

 

Norwegian Culture Minister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland described the theft as "dreadful and shocking".

 

"We have not protected our cultural treasures adequately. We must learn the lessons," she said.

 

The robbers fled with the painting to a waiting car

 

Jorunn Christofferson, a press officer at the Munch Museum, told the BBC the museum was full of people when the robbers took the two paintings - frames and all - off the walls of the gallery.

 

Kjell Pedersen of the Oslo police told the Norwegian daily Aftenposten that police had "mobilised all available resources on the ground and in the air".

 

Nobody was hurt and no shots were fired, Ms Christofferson said.

 

She said the museum had closed-circuit television that would have captured the event on video, but that the thieves "were wearing black hoods, like bank robbers".

 

No protection

 

 

All you had to do is pull on the painting hard for the cord to break loose - which is what I saw one of the thieves doing

Francois Castang, witness

A French radio producer who was in the museum at the time of the theft said security was not very tight.

 

"What's strange is that in this museum, there weren't any means of protection for the paintings, no alarm bell," Francois Castang told France Inter radio, the Associated Press reported.

 

"The paintings were simply attached by wire to the walls," he said. "All you had to do is pull on the painting hard for the cord to break loose - which is what I saw one of the thieves doing."

 

Ms Christofferson said the guards were more concerned with protecting visitors than the paintings.

 

The museum had not long been open when the thieves struck

 

"When they threaten the guards with a gun there is not much to be done," she told the BBC.

 

"They were more concerned with the security of the visitors."

 

Munch painted several versions of his famous 1893 work.

 

The National Gallery version - considered to be the most significant one - was stolen in 1994 as the Winter Olympic Games began in Lillehammer, Norway.

 

Demands

 

The Norwegian government received a demand for a ransom of $1m, but never got proof that those demanding the money had the painting.

 

An anti-abortion group claimed it could get the painting returned if an anti-abortion film was broadcast on television.

 

Police dismissed that claim.

 

The painting was recovered undamaged in a hotel about 65km (40 miles) south of Oslo in May 1994. Three Norwegians were arrested in connection with the theft.

 

Munch, Norway's best-known artist, died in 1944, aged 81.

 

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39986000/jpg/_39986246_theft_afp203body.jpg'>

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39984000/jpg/_39984632_longscream.jpg'> http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39986000/jpg/_39986246_theft_afp203body.jpg'>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by villain

I heard about this. They said it was the second time it was stolen in 10 years. They also said it's worth millions of dollars.

I for one do not see the point in stealing art. Since the inherent purpose of art is to show it. Who are you going to sell it to? Someone who is going to keep it locked in their basement where only they can see it? I don't understand. At any rate I get a kick out of the idea that armed men steal paintings....

 

I think it is worth the quite a bit more than millions of dollars. The criminals will probably use it for leverage or maybe ransom for future crimes.

 

The one that was stolen a while back was a different version of this painting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...