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Arts News
Police testing recovered Munch paintings for fingerprints
By DPA
Sep 11, 2006, 19:00 GMT



Oslo - Norwegian police said Monday they needed more time to secure possible
forensic evidence from two recently-recovered stolen masterpieces by
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. 

The police were searching for fingerprints and possible DNA traces, Oslo
police chief Iver Stensrud told Norwegian news agency NTB, adding that
investigators would need at least this week to finish their task. 

Armed men stole the well-known paintings in August 2004. 

Police were cooperating with conservation experts at the Munch Museum to
determine what methods could be used without causing further damage to the
paintings. 

Acting museum director Ingebjorg Ydstie said earlier that experts had
detected puncture holes in the Madonna painting while The Scream, which was
painted on cardboard, had been damaged in one corner, probably when it was
dropped on the floor. 

Photographs of the two works have been taken and Oslo city council which
operates the museum was set to decide if the photos would be put on display
before restoration work precedes to satisfy public interest. 

Police announced August 31 this year that they had recovered the missing
works, but have not said 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.