AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Seven paintings by artists including Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet that are worth more than a hundred million dollars were stolen from a museum in Rotterdam in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The heist at the Kunsthal museum is one of the largest in years in the Netherlands, and is a stunning blow for the private Triton Foundation collection, which was being exhibited publicly as a group for the first time.
The collection was on display as part of celebrations surrounding Kunsthal’s 20th anniversary.
Police spokeswoman Willemieke Romijn said investigators were reviewing videotapes of the theft, which took place around 3 a.m. local time, and calling for any witnesses to come forward. Police have yet to reveal how the heist took place.
Indications are that the perpetrators of the crime knew which pieces they were after.
Chris Marinello, director of The Art Loss Register, which tracks stolen artworks, said it was clear some of the most valuable pieces in the collection were targeted.
“Those thieves got one hell of a haul,” Marinello said.
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