How are the images recorded in the Dorotheum? "DiePresse.com

Vienna. "Pierre Auguste Renoir represents France and his art," wrote the Dorotheum recently on its website. Now one of the works of the French impressionist is gone – and the search for three men who captured the surveillance camera is in progress. The most important questions and the answers concerning the flight.

1. How was the Renoir stolen from the Dorotheum?

Cheekily, as announced by the police: Monday at 17:15, three foreigners, including two with shopping bags, entered the house of Dorotheergbade. They may have deliberately gone to the picture on the second floor. There, they took the photo of the frame and left the house with different exits. The police is based on professionals.

2. What is a table and what is it worth?

The small painting of 27 on 40 centimeters "Gulf, sea, green cliffs", painted by Renoir in 1895. It belonged for the last time to a private European collector. Wednesday night, it should have been auctioned with works by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The estimated value was 120,000 to 160,000 euros. For comparison: there are Renoirs cheaper, but also much more expensive. "In the roses (Portrait of Madame Léon Clapisson)" was sold at auction in 2003 to 20.5 million euros. In Renoir 's work, the stolen image is insignificant, says Michael Kovacek of the Kinsky auction house. Such small landscapes would come to the international market five, six times a year.

3. Who cares about these stolen works of art?

Officially, such a chart, which is now not only recorded but also broadcast on the Net, can not be sold in the Western world, says Kovacek. The thief can sell it – if he does not do it at home – at the black market, of course, says Nikolaus Barta, who insures the art around the world. Relatively easy in South America or Asia.

4. Are the images registered in the auction houses?

The Dorotheum speaks of "complete safety precautions", the details are not a price. In any case, there are supervisors and cameras. The report of a silent alarm triggered when the photo was taken out of the frame does not confirm the font. According to Kovacek, it is common in auction houses to have pictures taken on the wall to check the back without having previously turned off an alarm.

5. How often are works of art stolen in Austria?

Larger art thefts are rare, as recent reports on cultural heritage show. In 2017, 172 cases representing a total loss of € 770,000 were reported in Austria. In addition to apartments and churches, trade and trade fairs are also targets. The most spectacular case is that of Saliera, estimated at 50 million euros, stolen in 2003 at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. In the Dorotheum there has been no gemiebiebstähle according to the self-reported statements of recent decades. In addition, the work is insured.