Beach in Pourville
Encyclopedia
Beach in Pourville is a painting by French
artist Claude Monet
. It was painted in 1882, one of a series of oil-on-canvas works made by Monet that year in the small seaside resort of Pourville-sur-Mer (now part of the commune
of Hautot-sur-Mer
), near Dieppe
in northern France. Monet is considered one of the most important members of the group of painters identified as the Impressionists. The painting was bought by the National Museum, Poznań
, Poland
in 1906 and exhibited in the display of their collection.
from the Poznań National Museum in September 2000. It was cut out of its frame and replaced with a copy, which had been painted on cardboard. At the time, the painting was valued at more than $
1 million, and was the only painting by Monet on public display in Poland. The theft was discovered on 19 September 2000, and police searched for a man who had been seen making sketches of paintings in the museum two days earlier.
The painting was recovered on 12 January 2010. Police also arrested a 41-year-old man in the southern Polish city of Olkusz
, whom they believe to be the painter of the copy used in the robbery. The suspect was traced through fingerprints and other evidence left at the site of the theft.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
artist Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
. It was painted in 1882, one of a series of oil-on-canvas works made by Monet that year in the small seaside resort of Pourville-sur-Mer (now part of the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Hautot-sur-Mer
Hautot-sur-Mer
Hautot-sur-Mer is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small town of farming and light industry situated in the Pays de Caux, immediately to the west of Dieppe, at the junction of the D75, D56 and D925 roads. The chalk cliffs and...
), near Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
in northern France. Monet is considered one of the most important members of the group of painters identified as the Impressionists. The painting was bought by the National Museum, Poznań
National Museum, Poznań
The National Museum, Poznań , Poland, is a national institution of culture and one of the largest museums in Poland. It comprise a rich collection of Polish painting since the 16th century and a collection of foreign painting...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1906 and exhibited in the display of their collection.
Theft and recovery
The painting was stolenArt theft
Art theft is usually for the purpose of resale or for ransom . Stolen art is sometimes used by criminals to secure loans.. One must realize that only a small percentage of stolen art is recovered. Estimates range from 5 to 10%. This means that little is known about the scope and characteristics of...
from the Poznań National Museum in September 2000. It was cut out of its frame and replaced with a copy, which had been painted on cardboard. At the time, the painting was valued at more than $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 million, and was the only painting by Monet on public display in Poland. The theft was discovered on 19 September 2000, and police searched for a man who had been seen making sketches of paintings in the museum two days earlier.
The painting was recovered on 12 January 2010. Police also arrested a 41-year-old man in the southern Polish city of Olkusz
Olkusz
Olkusz is a town in south Poland with 37,696 inhabitants . Situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship , previously in Katowice Voivodeship , it is the capital of Olkusz County...
, whom they believe to be the painter of the copy used in the robbery. The suspect was traced through fingerprints and other evidence left at the site of the theft.