Theft Strikes Brethren Art World

The crime was so improbable that even after it happened the first time, coincidentally during an Olympics, the Norwegians took no special precautions to prevent a recurrence. In 1994, as Norway was hosting the Winter Olympics, thieves climbed a ladder, broke a window at the National Gallery in Oslo and stole Edward Munch's painting "The Scream." On Sunday, two thieves wearing ski masks rushed into the Munch Museum and, while the unarmed guards were held at gunpoint, made off with three more masterpieces. Missing is another version of "The Scream", Munch's "Madonna", and an original "Little Man", on loan from the Brethren Historical Library and Archives. Not as well known as "The Scream", "Little Man" has striking similarities to Munch’s well known image. The earlier theft was solved and the painting recovered after the thieves tried to settle for a $1 million ransom. As for this latest theft, a stolen station wagon and frames and broken glass from the paintings were found not far from the museum. Other than that, police have few clues; the thieves did speak in Norwegian, which narrows it down somewhat since the famously law-abiding country has only 4.5 million people.