
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, October 25, 1994                   TAG: 9410250100
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND                                LENGTH: Short

7 PICASSOS STOLEN FROM ART GALLERY

Thieves broke into the office of the elderly owner of an art gallery and took seven paintings by Pablo Picasso, including two early works stolen from the same gallery three years ago.

Gallery owner Max K. Bollag said the paintings were not insured. He estimated their value at $44 million, although one Picasso expert said that was too high.

The paintings were stolen during the weekend by thieves who got in through the cellar of a neighboring house, Bollag said Monday. In addition to the seven Picassos, the thieves also took an oil painting by American artist Julius Pascin.

Bollag said the paintings were in his private office, where he had shown them to visitors a few days ago. Although the gallery's outside door was rigged to a burglar alarm, the inside doors were merely locked, he said.

- Associated Press

by CNB