Ten years ago, a theif walked into a small museum in western Poland and quietly, un-noticed by guards or cameras, swapped out Monet's "Beach in Pourville" with a copy, painted on cardboard and strolled away.
Today, in Warsaw, Poland police say that they have found that painting in the possesion of a 41 year-old man in the southern city of Olkusz. Fingerprints and other traces left at the site helped identify the suspect, but police weren't able to locate him until recently. The man has confessed to the robbery, but no other details have been released.
The National Museum in Poznan is currently examining the painting to ensure its provenance. The painting, which shows the sea lapping against a beach is valued at $1 million dollars. Needless to say, the museum owners consider it to be pricess. And, can you blame them?
