Lost Art: Paris Bus Discovery

In February 2018, a painting by Edgar Degas, worth around $1 million, was found in a suitcase in the luggage compartment of a bus near Paris. The painting, titled The Chorus Singers, had been stolen from a museum in Marseille nine years earlier. The work of art was discovered by customs officers during a random search of the bus, which was parked at a highway rest area about 18 miles east of Paris. None of the passengers on the bus claimed ownership of the suitcase or the painting, and it was later confirmed to be authentic by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Degas' painting 'The Chorus Singers' was stolen in 2009

Edgar Degas' painting "The Chorus Singers" was stolen in 2009 from the Musée Cantini in Marseille, France. The pastel painting from 1877, depicting a line of men singing in the opera "Don Giovanni", was on loan from the Musée d'Orsay in Paris at the time. It was estimated to be worth around 800,000 euros (£700,000).

For almost a decade, the painting was nowhere to be found. French investigators were puzzled as to how the small painting had disappeared without any sign of a break-in. The police briefly detained a night watchman but released him shortly after.

In a surprising turn of events, the painting was recovered on February 16, 2018, by French customs officers. They found "The Chorus Singers" in the luggage compartment of a bus during a random search at a highway stop in Ferrières-en-Brie, about 18 miles east of Paris. The painting, signed by Degas himself, was in a suitcase that none of the passengers claimed as their own.

The discovery of the long-lost Degas painting was a significant event for the art world and French cultural heritage. Françoise Nyssen, the French Culture Minister, expressed delight at the recovery of the work, stating that its disappearance had been a "heavy loss for French Impressionist heritage". The painting was confirmed to be authentic by the Musée d'Orsay, which also expressed its joy at the rediscovery.

The unexpected finding of Degas' "The Chorus Singers" on a bus near Paris marked a positive conclusion to a mystery that had endured for over eight years. The investigation continued to uncover the details surrounding the painting's disappearance and reappearance.

The painting was found in a suitcase in a bus luggage compartment

In February 2018, a painting by the renowned French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas was found in a suitcase in a bus luggage compartment. The artwork, titled "The Chorus Singers" or "Les Choristes", had been missing for nine years after being stolen from a museum in Marseille in 2009. The painting, a pastel work from 1877, depicts singers on a theatre stage or, more specifically, a scene from Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" or "Don Juan".

The discovery was made by French customs officers during a random search of a bus at a highway stop in Ferrières-en-Brie, located about 18 miles east of Paris. The officers opened a suitcase in the bus's luggage compartment and found the painting inside. None of the passengers on the bus claimed ownership of the suitcase or the artwork.

The painting is considered a valuable piece, with estimates of its worth ranging from $1 million to 800,000 euros (approximately £700,000). The work holds cultural significance as well, with France's culture minister, Francoise Nyssen, expressing delight at its recovery and noting that its disappearance had been "a heavy loss for French impressionist heritage".

Following the discovery, experts from the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, which owns the painting, confirmed its authenticity. The museum tweeted its delight at the rediscovery, as the painting is set to feature in the "`Degas at the Opera' exhibit" planned for September 2019. The recovery of the artwork brings a sense of relief, especially since it had vanished without a trace for so long, and it will now be safely returned to the museum's collection.

The painting was worth nearly $1 million

Edgar Degas' painting "The Chorus Singers" was found in the luggage compartment of a bus near Paris, eight years after it was stolen from a museum in Marseille. The painting, a colourful pastel from 1877, depicts singers on a theatre stage from the final act of the opera "Don Giovanni". It is thought to be worth nearly $1 million.

Degas is a French artist who is most famous for his paintings and sculptures of dancers. He is also known for his work during the Impressionist movement, and is credited as being one of the founders of Impressionism. The painting "The Chorus Singers" is Degas' only work inspired by an opera that doesn't feature dancers.

The painting was discovered by customs officers who were randomly searching the luggage compartment of a bus at a highway stop in Ferrières-en-Brie, about 18 miles east of Paris. The officers found the signed painting in a suitcase, but none of the passengers on the bus claimed it as their own. The investigation into the theft will continue.

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris, which owns the painting, confirmed its authenticity and said it was delighted by the discovery. A spokeswoman for the museum said that the recovery of the painting was a relief, and that it would be featured in the "Degas at the Opera" exhibit planned for September 2019.

The painting is a monotype, a printing process that is halfway between painting and engraving. It is created by making an ink composition, brushed on a metal plate, before putting this plate in the press.

The recovery of the painting has been hailed by France's culture minister, Francoise Nyssen, as a "happy rediscovery of a precious work belonging to the national collections, whose disappearance represented a heavy loss for French impressionist heritage".

The painting was confirmed authentic by the Musée d'Orsay

In February 2018, French customs officers discovered a painting by Edgar Degas in the luggage compartment of a bus parked at a highway rest stop about 18 miles east of Paris. The painting, titled "The Chorus Singers", had been stolen from a museum in Marseille, France, in December 2009. At the time of its theft, the painting was estimated to be worth 800,000 euros, or approximately $1 million.

Following the discovery, the painting was taken for authentication. The Musée d'Orsay, which owned the painting and had loaned it to the Musée Cantini in Marseille, confirmed its authenticity. The museum expressed its delight on its official Twitter account, with its head, Laurence des Cars, telling Agence France-Presse that the recovery was a "relief". She added that the painting did not appear to have been damaged.

The painting's rediscovery was particularly timely, coinciding with an exhibit at the Musée d'Orsay on the friendship between Degas and the French poet and thinker, Paul Valéry. The museum was also planning an exhibition called "Degas at the Opera" for September 2019, which would have been significantly impacted by the absence of the painting.

The confirmation of the painting's authenticity brought to a close a long and challenging chapter in the history of French Impressionist art. The painting's recovery and return to the Musée d'Orsay ensured its preservation for future generations to appreciate and study.

The painting was recovered 18 miles east of Paris

Edgar Degas' painting "The Chorus Singers" was found in a bus near Paris, specifically in a luggage compartment, about 18 miles east of the city. The bus was parked at a highway rest area in Ferrières-en-Brie, in the Seine-et-Marne region.

The painting was discovered by customs officers who were randomly searching the bus. They found the artwork in a suitcase, but none of the passengers on the bus claimed it as their own. The painting was confirmed to be authentic by the Musée d'Orsay, which owns the work and had loaned it to the Musée Cantini in Marseille, from where it was stolen in 2009.

The recovery of the painting was a significant event, as it is a valuable and renowned work by the famous French artist Edgar Degas. The painting dates back to 1877 and is estimated to be worth approximately $1 million or 800,000 euros (£700,000). France's Culture Minister, Françoise Nyssen, celebrated the rediscovery, stating that it represented a "heavy loss for French impressionist heritage" during the years it was missing.

The discovery of the painting also held cultural significance. Degas is known for his paintings and sculptures of dancers, and "The Chorus Singers" is his only opera-inspired work that does not depict dancers. The painting portrays a scene from Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni," and its recovery came at a timely moment, coinciding with an exhibit at the Musée d'Orsay celebrating the friendship between Degas and the French poet and thinker, Paul Valéry.

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