Art Thieves Propose Deal to Return Stolen Works

A gang of suspected art thieves on trial in Romania for breaking into Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum last October and stealing masterpieces by Picasso, Gauguin, Monet, and others are offering to return five of the seven works in exchange for moving their trial to the Netherlands. The proposition offers a glimmer of hope that many, if not all, of the paintings have survived. There had been fears that the mother of one of the suspects destroyed a number of the pieces following his arrest. It remains to be seen whether authorities will agree to the deal and whether the thieves can actually produce the paintings as promised. More...