Case · Theft
The Marmottan Monet Theft
'Impression, Sunrise' stolen at gunpoint
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Image: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
In 1985 armed robbers took nine works from the Marmottan, including Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise' — the painting that gave Impressionism its name. All were recovered five years later in Corsica.
The daylight robbery stunned Paris: gunmen held staff and visitors at bay and stripped the walls of Monet, Renoir, and Morisot works, including the movement's founding icon.
In 1990 French police recovered the paintings in Corsica, tracing them to a network linked to earlier thefts. 'Impression, Sunrise' returned unharmed.