Monet painting thief gets 3-year prison term

/in /by

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – A court spokeswoman in western Poland says a man convicted in the theft of a Claude Monet painting valued at $7 million has been handed a three-year prison term.

Agnieszka Weichert-Urban said that the regional court in Poznan sentenced the 41-year-old man on Thursday for cutting Beach in Pourville from its frame 10 years ago at the city’s National Museum and replacing it with a cardboard copy.

The man has admitted the theft. The verdict, however, is subject to appeal.

In January, fingerprints led investigators in Poznan to the resident of the southern city of Olkusz, where the French impressionist’s painting was found at his parents’ home.

The painting in pastel blues and greens shows the sea lapping against a beach.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP-WS-07-01-10 1010EDT

 

 

 

More on Auction Central News
The cluster of Finnish-made homes in Warsaw is near the Sejm building, home of Poland's parliament. Image by Kpalion. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Quaint Finnish homes in Warsaw face destruction
Scanned Image of Victoria Cross Medal Ribbon & Bar. Medal design was UK Crown copyright prior to 1952 and now in the public domain. From private collection. Photo by Richard Harvey. Used under license of Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 England and Wales (UK).
New Zealand valor medal thief gets six-year prison term
The newly built Museum of Polish Jews in Warsaw. Image by mamik/fotopolska.eu. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
US philanthropist savors opening of Jewish museum
Holocaust museum
Historian lays out vision for new Holocaust museum in Warsaw
Palm Beach Modern’s auctioneer, Rico Baca, gets into the Gatsby mood as he inspects premier items in the company’s May 25 auction, including (clockwise from left) one of a pair of Jules Leleu French Art Deco period chairs with ottomans, a large Jeff Compertz abstract painting, one of a pair of circa-1930 French Art Deco Egyptian Revival candelabra, and an Alfred Porteneuve French Art Deco rosewood with silver-plated bronze sideboard/dresser made in 1939 for the SS Pasteur ocean liner. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image.
Design classics with Gatsby flair in Palm Beach Modern’s May 25 auction