Amid Lockdown, A Van Gogh Painting Was Stolen From A Dutch Museum

On March 30, a museum in the Netherlands announced that a painting of Vincent Van Gogh was stolen after some thieves broke into the building in the early morning. Called Lentetuin, the painting was drawn by Van Gogh in Spring 1884 and was lent to the Singer Laren museum for exhibition. The museum has been closed since the beginning of this month due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Jan Rudolph de Lorm, the museum’s director expressed he was shocked and angry after finding out that the painting of one of the greatest artists of all time had been stolen.

According to Het Laatste, the thieves broke into the museum by breaking a glass door. This activated the alarming system and the police arrived at the crime scene immediately. However, they couldn’t find any trace of the intruders. The broken door was then replaced by a temporary door.

Van Gogh drew the painting Lentetuin when he was in the Nuenen town, the Netherlands where he lived with his parents from 1883 to 1885. The painting describes the garden inside the monastery where Van Gogh's father worked as a pastor. The value of the picture remains unknown.

Criminals have taken advantage of the pandemic. Last week, Europol warned that many criminals were selling fake COVID-19 drugs and trying to come inside the buyers’ houses.

And in the US, many visitors to the national park started sealing toilet papers and hand sanitizers from public toilets.

This isn’t the first time the Dutch museum has been the thieves’ target. Back in 2007, seven statues were stolen from the sculpture garden of the museum, including The Thinker by Auguste Rodin. The statue was quickly tracked but it lost one leg. In 2011, the statue was put back on display after a long restoration process.

>>> During COVID-19 Pandemic, Museum Closed, Thieves Stole 3 Pictures Worth Rs 90 Crore In Total