[CPProt.net] Valuable paintings stolen from museum in Serbia

[Ton Cremers]

Valuable paintings stolen from museum in Serbia 
         


Four works of art worth several million U.S. dollars were stolen from 
the City Museum in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, police said 
on Monday. 

Two masked men entered the museum Sunday morning and stole the 
paintings, police said, adding that the museum had no video- 
surveillance equipment available and was guarded by only one security 
guard. 

The most expensive work was Rembrandt's, "Portrait of a Father", a 
17th century painting with an estimate worth of 2.5 million British 
pounds (some 4.45 million U.S. dollars). 

Also stolen were Ruben's "Portrait of a Shadow", also from the 17th 
century, one painting by Pier Francesco Mola, and one by an unknown 
German-Dutch 16th century painter. 

Museum Director Drago Njegovan has called on the thieves to return 
the paintings, stressing that they have no chance of selling those 
works of art. 

"Return the paintings, you will not be able to sell them, they are by 
far too well known Dutch and Italian masters, and are found in all 
encyclopedias," he said. 

Source: Xinhua