Vincent van Gogh painting is stolen from Dutch museum closed due to coronavirus
- The museum near Amsterdam said Van Gogh’s ‘Spring Garden’ had been stolen
- Burglars forced their way in through a glass door shortly after 3am this morning
- Museum director said he was ‘shocked and incredibly p****d off’ by the theft
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A Vincent van Gogh painting was stolen in an overnight raid at a Dutch museum which is closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Singer Laren museum near Amsterdam said ‘Spring Garden’ by the Dutch master was stolen in the early hours of this morning.
The burglars forced their way through a glass door shortly after 3am and left with the single painting, Dutch media said.
The museum was shut down on March 12 along with the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The Van Gogh painting had been on loan from the Groninger Museum in the city of Groningen, according to public broadcaster NOS.
Museum director Jan Rudolph de Lorm told Dutch media he was ‘shocked and incredibly p****d off’ by the theft.
‘This is extremely difficult, especially in these times,’ he said.
Police had been investigating the break-in since this morning before the identity of the stolen artwork was revealed this afternoon.
Before the closure, the museum was hosting an exhibition titled ‘Mirror of the Soul’ with works by artists ranging from Toorop to Mondrian.
More to follow.