I haven't a link to the story as of yet, I'm reading it on the AP wire (which is software I'd rather not cut and paste from) but here's a lick of it (though I suspect it'll make all news sources soon enough)...
"Armed robbers on Sunday stole a version of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's "The Scream," regarded by many as his most important work and an icon of existentialist angst, from an Oslo museum.
In a dramatic daytime raid, two masked robbers forced an employee at the Munch Museum to take down a version of "The Scream" and another important work "Madonna" at gunpoint. They escaped from the scene in a car driven by a third man.
The pictures, worth millions of dollars, were cut from their frames which were found discarded and broken later in another part of the city.
"A female employee of the museum was threatened with a handgun and forced to take down two pictures," Hilde Walsoe, chief inspector at Oslo police station, said. "They took two paintings, 'The Scream' and 'Madonna."'
Police cordoned off the area, informed Interpol and alerted airports and border crossings in the hunt to track down the thieves who snatched the Munch masterpieces. A helicopter hovered around the area in search of clues to the getaway.
Art experts said Munch produced four versions of "The Scream." The stolen version consists of tempera and pastel on board. " posted by bluedaniel at 7:02 AM on August 22, 2004
ScreamFilter: As I read now, it's on most news sites. Delete at will if appropriate. posted by bluedaniel at 7:08 AM on August 22, 2004
paintings at the munch museet site (slow as fjord formation). that "madonna" painting is fantastic. posted by steef at 8:24 AM on August 22, 2004
Another robbery that I came across, when I visted. The robbery from 1990 is still unsolved. posted by brent at 9:01 AM on August 22, 2004
I couldn't help but laugh reading the LNR article. Super find josh! posted by riffola at 9:11 AM on August 22, 2004
Wow. Just now, google news doesn't have this on its opening page at all, which seems exceedingly strange. It was there a few minutes ago on the right-hand list of top stories at the top of the page. I wonder why? posted by taz at 9:12 AM on August 22, 2004
They stole the story to cover their tracks, taz. posted by Krrrlson at 9:25 AM on August 22, 2004
LOL, onlyconnect, LOL. posted by NortonDC at 9:25 AM on August 22, 2004
I'm really upset and scared that the painting might disappear forever now, but by god that article was hilarious. posted by XQUZYPHYR at 9:34 AM on August 22, 2004
We hope they will recover the paintings (and the thought of thugs, boxcutters and two great paintings is painful), but the Munch Museum still has about a thousand of Munch's paintings, 4000 drawings and 18,000 prints.
If you ever get to Oslo, go. It's a fabulous (and, of course, unsettling) experience. posted by kozad at 10:10 AM on August 22, 2004
Not much in the way of a security system stood in the way of the robbers, although a brave female security guard did her best to stop the raid by lying on the floor when asked to.
First up, police should go around to all the video stores and ask if anyone suspicious has rented The Thomas Crown Affair remake in the past week or so. posted by bobo123 at 10:45 AM on August 22, 2004
Last known photo, taken with unnamed "companion" posted by Peter H at 1:09 PM on August 22, 2004
Not funny: The fuckers cut the paintings from their frames. Bad, bad, bad.
Funny: onlyconnect's best use of emoticons since... ever. posted by jokeefe at 1:14 PM on August 22, 2004
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"Armed robbers on Sunday stole a version of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's "The Scream," regarded by many as his most important work and an icon of existentialist angst, from an Oslo museum.
In a dramatic daytime raid, two masked robbers forced an employee at the Munch Museum to take down a version of "The Scream" and another important work "Madonna" at gunpoint. They escaped from the scene in a car driven by a third man.
The pictures, worth millions of dollars, were cut from their frames which were found discarded and broken later in another part of the city.
"A female employee of the museum was threatened with a handgun and forced to take down two pictures," Hilde Walsoe, chief inspector at Oslo police station, said. "They took two paintings, 'The Scream' and 'Madonna."'
Police cordoned off the area, informed Interpol and alerted airports and border crossings in the hunt to track down the thieves who snatched the Munch masterpieces. A helicopter hovered around the area in search of clues to the getaway.
Art experts said Munch produced four versions of "The Scream." The stolen version consists of tempera and pastel on board. "
posted by bluedaniel at 7:02 AM on August 22, 2004