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Thieves Snag 2 Picassos

German museum's paintings stolen from exhibition near Zurich

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 8, 2008 2:28 PM CST

(Newser) – Thieves stole two Picasso paintings that belong to a German museum from a Swiss art gallery where they had been on display, the Guardian reports. The pilfered works, Tete de Cheval and Verre et Pichet, were on loan from the Sprengel Museum. Combined, they're worth $4.5 million, AFP reports.

The thieves tripped an alarm as they left a cultural center in Pfaeffikon on Wednesday evening; how they entered wasn't clear, but they may have hidden in the gallery before it closed, police said. Picasso pieces are some of the most commonly stolen artworks, thanks in part to the artist’s staggering productivity. The museum is offering a reward for info on the heist.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

The works, valued at millions were on loan for exhibition from the Sprengel Museum in Hanover, Germany, pictured here. (Public Domain)

Pablo Picasso is photographed in his studio in 1948. Two Picasso works, valued approximately at millions, have been stolen after an exhibition in the town of Pfaeffikon, near Zurich. (Magnum Photos)

A Christie's employee holds a painting by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in this file photo. Two Picasso paintings worth millions have been stolen from an art gallery in Switzerland. (Getty Images (by Event) Individuals)

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Pablo Picasso paints on glass in this archival film turned advertisement. (papazap (YouTube))

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Thieves Snag 2 Picassos