Art

Munch painting theft saga coming to a close

The Scream oil painting by MunchThree men who conspired to pinch Edvard Munch‘s “The Scream” and “Madonna” were sentenced to nine year in prison for their roles in the grand theft. Both paintings were recovered, but suffered damaged.

Two years after the theft, police recovered the paintings, which were cut and pierced. Even broken glass found itself into the canvas as the frames were broken during the heist.
There are four separate editions of “The Scream,” Munch’s best-known work, depicting a frail figure apparently earshot by a scream. The image has become an icon of modern human anxiety.

The three convicted felons were also sentenced to pay a total of $262 million in compensation to the city of Oslo, which owns the paintings.

About the Author

Amitai Sasson of overstockArt.com is an art world traveler on a mission to seek out the beauty and passion of the art world. As an avid enthusiast of art and oil paintings, he contributes to ArtCorner.com as Chief editor and writer.