Yesterday, thieves stole paintings by famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, and Monet from Rotterdam’s Kunsthal museum. Described as a brazen and meticulously planned operation, the robbers took off with seven paintings worth millions of euros.

The gallery does not actually employ any guards, instead relying on a very “sophisticated” alarm and security system. We now know how that turned out for them.

Roland Ekkers, a spokesman for Rotterdam police, said they received a call alerting them to the theft at around 03h00 yesterday.

The alarm system in the Kunsthal was supposed to be state of the art. But somehow the people responsible for this found a way in and a way out and they found time to take seven paintings. So that’s something that is part of our investigation right now.

Chris Marinello, director of the Art Loss Register, which tracks stolen artworks, said the smooth nature of the theft suggested the gang must have had inside information.

Those thieves got one hell of a haul!

The image above is of Paul Gauguin’s 1898 Girl in Front of Open Window. The rest of the pieces stolen can be seen in the gallery below. They are: Pablo Picasso’s 1971 Harlequin’s Head; Claude Monet’s 1901 Waterloo Bridge, London and Charing Cross Bridge, London; Henri Matisse’s 1919 Reading Girl in White and Yellow; Meyer de Haan’s Self-Portrait, around 1890, and Lucian Freud’s Woman with Eyes Closed.

[Source: Reuters]