French national living in Florida indicted on attempted sale of stolen Monet, Sisley, and Breugel

July 7th, 2008

State prosecutor, Jacques Dallest, displays stolen paintings via ReutersUK

A Frenchman living in Florida has been charged with conspiring to sell four masterpieces, stolen from the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Nice, France back in August 2007. The Frenchman, Bernard Jean Ternus, was caught trying to sell four paintings, by Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, and Pieter Breugel, to undercover FBI agents. The four recovered paintings were Falaises près de Dieppe by Claude Monet, Allée de peupliers de Moret by Alfred Sisley, and Pieter Breugel’s Allégorie de l’eau and Allégorie de la terre.

French Man Living in Florida Indicted for Conspiring to sell stolen works [Artdaily]
Frenchman in Florida charged in Monet, Sisley Art Heist [CBC]
U.S. charges Frenchman over stolen Monet, other art [ReutersUK]
Frenchman Charged With Plotting to Sell Stolen Monet Painting [Bloomberg]
French Citizen charged in brazen Art Theft [CalgaryHerald]
Art thieves aren’t just in it for the Monet [Guardian]

Allée de peupliers de Moret by Alfred Sisley via Artdaily

Ternus was trying to sell the four paintings for $4.8 million, which were originally estimated to be worth $1.55 million when were stolen by masked gunmen from the Musee des Beaux-Arts in 2007. Earlier this month, one of Monet’s water lily paintings sold for a record breaking $80.5 million at Christie’s London.

Falaises près de Dieppe, Claude Monet via Guardia

Allégorie de la terre, Pieter Breugel via Productionmyarts

Allégorie de l’eau, Pieter Breugel via Productionmyarts