Major Brazilian art heist still unsolved as statute of limitations expires

"On the afternoon of 24 February 2006, during Rio's Carnival-one of Brazil's largest annual celebrations-with the steep streets of the Santa Teresa neighbourhood filled with music and parade crowds, a group of thieves entered the museum, overpowered three security guards, took nine people hostage (including staff and visitors), disabled the security cameras and took the surveillance tapes. Minutes later, they fled on foot with the works of art, disappearing into the crowds outside."

"The stolen pieces were among the most important in the museum's collection: Monet's Marine (1880-90), Matisse's Le Jardin du Luxembourg (1903), Dalí's Les Deux Balcons (1929) and Picasso's La Danse (1956) as well as a book of his Toros prints. The works were later included in international databases of stolen art, such as the Art Loss Register, and are still officially listed as missing."

"At the time, this was the largest art theft in Brazilian history and one of the top ten in the world. The works were collectively valued at more than $10m at the time they disappeared (around $16m today)."

On February 24, 2006, during Rio's Carnival, thieves executed a sophisticated heist at Museu da Chácara do Céu in Rio de Janeiro's Santa Teresa neighborhood. The criminals overpowered security guards, took nine hostages, disabled cameras, and stole five artworks worth over $10 million at the time (approximately $16 million today). The stolen pieces included Monet's Marine, Matisse's Le Jardin du Luxembourg, Dalí's Les Deux Balcons, Picasso's La Danse, and a book of Picasso's Toros prints. This was Brazil's largest art theft and ranked among the world's top ten. The perpetrators were never identified, and the works remain missing despite being registered in international stolen art databases. Twenty years later, the statute of limitations has expired, preventing any criminal prosecution.

Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events