[MSN] Max Ernst painting stolen at Art Cologne fair

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Max Ernst painting stolen at Art Cologne fair
7 November 2006

Cologne, Germany (dpa) - Police admitted Tuesday they were baffled over a
cheeky thief who walked away with a valuable abstract painting while backs
were turned at last week's Art Cologne fair in Germany. 

The thief appears to have made off with the picture, "Untitled" by noted
German painter Max Ernst (1891-1976), on Sunday evening as stands were being
taken down at the end of the five-day dealer fair, one of the world's
biggest art markets. 

A Cologne newspaper quoted Thomas von Salis from a Salzburg, Austria dealer
gallery saying, "About 8 pm, three of my staff and I were busy taking down
the pictures. The locks had already been opened. 

"It must have happened then. We turned our backs and the thief struck," said
von Salis, 49. 

Cologne police said Tuesday they had no clues, adding that security was lax
in the phase when trade fairs were being constructed or dismantled, with
contractors often at work. 

"We haven't even obtained any photo of the painting," said police spokesman
Christoph Gilles. There is more than one picture by Max Ernst called
'Untitled'. The sale value of the 1957 painting was 165,000 euros (210,000
dollars). 

A 70-centimetre 1986 bronze sculpture by A.R. Penck was also stolen at Art
Cologne. Its sale value was put at 130,000 euros.


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