The Ukrainian authorities announced on Tuesday that he had seized in Kiev a painting by French impressionist Paul Signac, stolen in may 2018 at the museum of Fine-Arts of Nancy (north-eastern France), with an estimated value of 1.5 million euros. «We will be able to soon return to the museum this table,» said the Ukrainian minister of Interior Arsen Avakov presenting this painting, The Port of la Rochelle , in the presence of the ambassador of France Isabelle Dumont.
This oil on canvas dating from 1915 that depicts boats at the entrance to the port of la Rochelle had been cut out and the frame left in place. «An expert mission commissioned by the French justice has confirmed the authenticity of the canvas» 46 x 55, for its part, has specified the city council of the city of Nancy, in a press release.
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The thieves, all Ukrainians, were arrested, said to the press, the chief of police, Serguiï Kniazev, indicating that the table has been found in Kiev at the home of a man also suspected of the murder of a jeweler. «We have received information about a group of people seeking buyers for the stolen paintings in Europe last year», explained another senior police officer, Serguiï Tykhonov. «Several works of art have been discovered, including this table, in the context of a series of raids».
According to Serguiï Kniazev, the security forces of ukraine also cooperate with their austrian counterparts to verify a possible involvement of this criminal group in the flight Vienna a table from another French impressionist, Auguste Renoir.