Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Mar 4, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Brazilian authorities say a valuable Matisse painting stolen from a Rio de Janeiro museum was being offered for $13 million on the Internet.
"Luxembourg Gardens," taken during a brazen daylight robbery from the Chacara do Ceu museum, was advertised on a Russian Web site, the BBC reported. Works by Picasso, Dali and Monet -- taken in the same robbery -- were not offered.
Police say it appears the paintings worth about $50 million, collectively, have not left Rio.
At least four men entered the museum last week, threatened guards with a grenade and dismantled the security system.
After snatching the paintings and mugging museum patrons, they disappeared into the crowds celebrating the annual Rio carnival.
Police have notified Interpol and have been checking routes out of the country in an effort to keep the thieves and their booty in Brazil.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
