A new thousand-year-old flight in Vienna

(ANSA) – A masterpiece by the French painter Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was stolen Tuesday night at Vienna just before an auction. The blow was carried by three thieves into the prestigious auction house Dorotheum, the largest and most important in Central Europe, which sells about 250,000 objects a year.

Around 5:15 pm, they entered the historic building in the center of the Austrian capital and, as if nothing had happened, they removed the painting from the frame and left. Despite the alarm, the police did not arrive at the time. According to the spokesman of the Viennese police, Patrick Maierhofer, "it was a professional job". The thieves, who seem very sporty, were immortalized by the rooms of the Dorotheum.

Then they left the building for several outings. Dorotheum spokeswoman, Doris Krumpl, confirmed that the stolen work was "Gulf, Sea, Dead Cliffs", signed by Renoir in 1895, depicting a landscape of pawns 27 by 40 cm from a price between 120 000 and 160 000 euros. dollars). Krumpl added that this flight was totally unusual.

The Dorotheum "has many security measures, our artwork is safe and no paintings have been stolen in recent decades," the spokesman said. The painting was part of the auction called "The Clbadics of Modernism", which will be held as planned after removing Renoir's painting from the list of works of sale.