All over the world, public spaces have been shut down to prevent people from meeting in gatherings and being huddled in crowds. Unfortunately, a few opportunistic thieves took this lockdown as a great opportunity to steal a painting by Dutch master Vincent Van Gogh early Monday, in a heist from a museum in Amsterdam. The museum was closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 1884 painting, titled the “Parsonage Garden at Neunen in Spring”, was taken during a pre-dawn break-in at the Singer Laren Museum near Amsterdam. The criminals stole the painting in a smash and grab raid where they smashed the glass door, picked up the painting and left before the police could get there.
How Valuable is the Painting?
The painting is valued at up to six million euros ($6.6 million).“I am shocked and unbelievably annoyed this theft has happened,” Jan Rudolph de Lorm, one of the museum’s directors, told a press conference.“Art is there to be seen, to be enjoyed, to inspire and to bring solace, particularly in these troubled times in which we find ourselves,” De Lorm said.
It is tragic to see that people will use this difficult time to steal and take advantage. Now is the time to unite and lend a helping hand (not literally, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING).