Recovered Munch paintings on display before restoration

Arts News

Sep 27, 2006, 15:14 GMT

Oslo - A five-day public display of two recently-recovered stolen masterpieces by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch opened Wednesday in the Norwegian capital. Citing the great public interest in the works - Madonna and The Scream - the Munch Museum decided to exhibit them before conservation experts begin their work. The paintings are displayed lying flat in two specially-designed glass cases, along with sketches, other related works as well as Munch's own notes about them, acting museum director Ingebjorg Ydstie told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. 'The damage to the paintings was not so extensive as to prevent an aesthetic experience of them,' Ydstie added, saying that consideration had been 'important' for the decision to display the works. Only some 30 visitors were allowed at a time in the room where the works are on display. Security measures after the August 2004 robbery have been stepped up and visitors must for instance pass through metal detectors. The extensive material that accompanies the works was also part of the museum's efforts to re-focus interest on the paintings as works of art rather than as stolen objects, Ydstie said. The five-day exhibition ends Sunday October 1. The museum, operated by the city council of Oslo, extended its weekday opening hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to cope with the interest. Ydstie said the restoration may take 'up to a year', but the museum has not set a timeline for the work, adding the museum's own experts were likely to conduct most of the restoration work. Puncture holes were visible in the Madonna painting, while The Scream, painted on cardboard, had sustained some damage from moisture and was damaged in a corner, likely when it was dropped on the floor. Police announced August 31 this year that they had recovered the missing works that were stolen by armed robbers in August 2004. They did not say how they retrieved the paintings or where they believed they were kept while missing. In May, a Norwegian court sentenced three men to jail terms ranging from four to eight years for their role in the theft. Two of the three were also sentenced to pay sizeable damages, but the prosecutor said he would limit the fines to the cost for restoring the works. An appeal trial is pending in January. Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, is considered one of Europe's most important expressionist artists. He made several versions of the two recovered works. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Recovered Munch paintings on display before restoration

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