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Picasso Lost and Found in Brazil

11:46 H | Topics: Arts - Brazil - Crime

One Pablo Picasso painting and a second painting by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari were found leaning against a wall of a house after being stolen last month from a Sao Paulo museum. Two suspects were arrested.

The theft of the paintings was a major embarrassment for the museum. First because they were stolen in the first place and second because the paintings weren't insured and there was no alarm system in the museum.

The two paintings are said to be worth at least $55 million.

Since the theft, The Sao Paulo Museum of Art has been closed and police presence around the building has been stepped up.

The theft was hardly high-tech. A hydraulic jack was used to pry open the museum entrance and the three thieves used only a crow bar to steal the paintings in a matter of minutes. The paintings will be returned to the museum in time for its reopening on Friday.

Via / BBC and 24 Horas TV Chile

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