The New York Times reports that "five armed and masked thieves walked into a museum in Nice, France, while it was open on Sunday afternoon" and stole four "masterworks" -- two Impressionist paintings and two works by Jan Brueghel the Elder. The Times says "the museum appears to be dogged by security problems." The same two Impressionist paintings were stolen in 1998 but recovered a few days later "on a boat in a nearby town." The museum’s then-curator was convicted in that theft and received a five-year prison sentence in 2002. One of the same two paintings was also stolen in 1978 and recovered several days later in a sewer.
On the other hand . . . French police have recovered the two Picasso paintings and a drawing that were stolen from the home of his granddaughter in February (see here). Three people are in custody.
