aixcentric

Authorities say they are 99% sure that the small pastel they have recovered is ‘Les Choristes’ by Degas, which was stolen from Marseille’s Musée Cantini on 31st December 2009.

It was found in an unusual place….

the hold of a bus in a service-station at Aire de Ferrieres-en-Brie, 26km from Paris.  Apparently none of the passengers knew anything about this discovery, made during a ‘routine check’ by customs officers. I do wonder if they had a tip-off as the French seem to be pretty good at tracking down stolen art-works.  (See my post on a bunch of criminals being rounded up in Carry-le-Rouet: https://aixcentric.com/2011/11/30/the-case-of-five-robbers-four-paintings-and-one-fbi-agent/)

The 27x32cm Degas was on loan to the Musee Cantini from the Musée d’Orsay and had been hanging on the second floor.  It disappeared overnight without the alarms going off and hasn’t been seen since.  Thefts of this nature often result in pictures going from hand-to-hand into other countries, so it is good that it is still in France.

The Musée d’Orsay are especially happy as they are planning a big exhibition

‘Degas at the Opera’ for 2020.