Van Gogh painting stolen again

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Egypt, the last known location of a van Gogh painting.

A Vincent van Gogh painting has gone missing from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The painting, which was cut from its frame, goes by the name "Poppy Flowers" or "Vase with Flowers" and is valued at approximately $50 million. The work was previously believed to have been recaptured from an Italian couple at Cairo airport, but Egypt's culture minister Farouk Hosni confirmed that the painting was still at large.

This is the second time the work has gone missing. It was first stolen in 1978, but was recovered two years later in Kuwait. Details surrounding the original theft are murky, as authorities never revealed the full details surrounding the charges or trial of the three Egyptians involved in the theft.

Painted around 1887, the missing work measures 30 centimetres by 30 centimetres and contains a flower scene. It is said to appear like work from Adolphe Monticelli who was inspired by Dutchman van Gogh. The painting is considered to have been made at a turning point in van Gogh's style.


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