A drawing by Impressionist Edgar Degas worth euro800,000 ($1.15
million) has been stolen from an exhibit in southeast France,
officials said Thursday.
The work, "Les Choristes," (or "The Chorus Singers"), was stolen
overnight from the Cantini Museum in the city of Marseille without
setting off an alarm, police and judicial officials said.
A security guard discovered it was missing when opening the museum
Thursday morning. The museum was closed Thursday while the theft is
being investigated.
"This picture was unscrewed. It wasn't ripped down," Marseille
state prosecutor Jacques Dallest told reporters. "That suggests at
least a little bit of organization... It's not necessarily the work
of a great professional either."
The small pastel, dominated by hues of pink, orange, red and
yellow, features a group of singers on stage in varying
expressions. Some have their hands extended, or over their chests.
The drawing dates back to 1876-77 and is worth euro800,000,
France's national museums authority said.
The famed Musee d'Orsay in Paris, known for its Impressionist
works, had lent the picture to the Marseille museum for an
exhibition, the officials said.
No other details were immediately available.