On Monday this week, three men walked into the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna, and stole by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The work was supposed be auctioned off today (Wednesday) for an estimated $131,000 to $181,000. The robbers took the painting out of its frame and just walked out of the building. The men’s faces are clear on the security footage. Stealing from such a prestigious auction is fairly rare. While, it is a crime to steal the painting, there is also a concern about the safety of the work. Paintings are extremely delicate, and the man-handling good cause a significant amount of damage. Certain works of art can have such significant price tags, that it can entice thieves. It is nearly impossible to stop people from wanting to buy priceless works of art, which means it will be impossible to stop second-hand sales, or thieves.
