Museum Watchman Arrested in Degas Theft

"Les Choristes" (1876) by Edgar Degas was reported stolen from the Cantini Museum on Thursday.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE — A security guard at the Cantini Museum of contemporary art made a shocking discovery on Thursday morning; hours later a night watchman was taken into police custody. The museum remain closed Thursday while authorities examined footage from security cameras. Since there were no signs of a break-in, the theft was thought to be an inside job.

The watchman was suspected of stealing a rare work of art by French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. The 13"x10" chalk pastel entitled Les Choristes ("The Chorus") depicts a colorful group of male singers performing on stage and was created in 1876. The piece is reportedly worth $1.15 million.

Les Choristes was on loan from the Musee d'Orsayas part of an exhibition featuring 20 works by the 19th century artist. Marseilles city hall, which runs the Cantini Museum, said 70,000 people had already visited the exhibition due to close January 3 before heading to Italy and Canada.
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Museum Watchman Arrested in Degas Theft

In Paris, Museum Visitors Are Spared From Strikes on Sunday

PARIS — Tourists take note: if you're planning to spend the holidays in France this year, you'll want to make sure your favorite museums are actually open before spending on Metro fare to reach your cultural destination.

Workers at many of the top museums in Paris were on strike this week, prompting numerous closures - at least periodically. Throughout the week, visitors arrived at major art institutions like the Louvre  museum and Musee d'Orsay, only to find picketing workers and locked doors covered with posters reading "grève" ("strike"). But to avoid angering the public even more, most museums were open today to honor their usual offer of free admission on the first Sunday of every month. The Pompidou Center was the exception, remaining closed for the fourteenth day in a row.

The strikes were initiated by unions representing culture ministry workers protesting government plans to trim the civil service by replacing only half of all retiring employees. France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand has refused to back down, making closures likely to resume next week.

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Read More - Most Paris Museums Open, Strikers Consider Options | Reuters

[Photo: Visitors at the Pompidou Center find the doors locked due to a strike. Courtesy Charles Platiau/Reuters.]

In Paris, Museum Visitors Are Spared From Strikes on Sunday