Henri Rousseau Painting Stolen from German Museum

The Museum Charlotte Zander from which the painting by Henri Rousseau was stolen. Via: Museum Charlotte Zander Website

A painting by Post-Impressionist artist Henri Rousseau was stolen from Germany’s Museum Charlotte Zander on October 3rd, according to reports by the dpa. The Museum Charlotte Zander is located in the Schloss Bönningheim, in the same-named town around 40 kilometers north of Stuttgart.

The unnamed work was slipped from its frame during normal opening hours on the national holiday (German Unity Day). It is said to be worth in the realm of €50,000 ($63,500). The painting reportedly depicts a vase holding a large bouquet of flowers and was hanging in a gallery along with other works by Rousseau.

More than a week after the painting disappeared, authorities told the dpa that the investigation has made little progress. “We still haven’t had a single solid tip,” a police spokesperson told the news agency on Tuesday.

As such, the spokesman claimed that his agency was widening its net in searching for the painting. The police will attempt to use various internet portals and forums to scare up evidence. They are also hoping to enlist the help of the art world to identify the painting, should it resurface on the market.

Though it remains unclear whether the painting remains in the region or in Germany at large, the police are also expanding their search internationally.


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