[CPProt.net] Police Doubt Report That 'The Scream' Burned

[Museum Security Network / Cultural Property Protection Net (Ton Cremers)]

Police Doubt Report That 'The Scream' Burned
Thu Apr 28, 2005 09:10 AM ET 

OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian police expressed skepticism about a newspaper
report Thursday that thieves had burned Edvard Munch's missing masterpiece
"The Scream" out of fear that investigators were closing in.
"The Oslo police have no knowledge of that," Iver Stensrud, the police chief
leading the investigation since gunmen stole the iconic 1893 painting from
an Oslo gallery in August 2004, told Norway's NRK public radio.

"The paintings have been burned," the tabloid Dagbladet said in a headline
over a story about the missing "The Scream" and "Madonna," which disappeared
in the same robbery.

The report quoted what it called a key source in Oslo's criminal underworld
as saying the two Munch paintings had been destroyed in recent weeks because
thieves apparently feared police were poised to solve the crime.

Dagbladet said a secret police report contained the same information. It
said police would have a hard time proving who was guilty if no one
confessed and the paintings were never recovered.

Police have arrested and charged three people this month on suspicion of
links to the theft but say they do not know the fate of the paintings.

Two gunmen stormed past dozens of tourists on Aug. 22, yanked the two
paintings from the walls of the Munch Museum and escaped in a car driven by
a third man.

"The Scream" has become a symbol of angst in a world scarred by horrors
including the Holocaust, the atom bomb and terrorism. Munch painted four
versions of his most famous work -- another was stolen for several months in
1994.

It was unclear who would steal the works by the Norwegian artist, who lived
1863-1944, since they are too well known to be sold legally.

One Norwegian art expert reckoned "The Scream" could fetch $75 million at a
legal auction, "Madonna" $15 million. "Madonna" shows a mysterious
bare-breasted woman with sweeping black hair.