Art Theft: Most Famous Cases in History

Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at the some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.

The First Theft:

The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.

The Most Famous Theft:

The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.

It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30ﾗ21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.

While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.

The Biggest Theft in the USA:

The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.

As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.

The Scream:

The painting by Edvard Munchs, The Scream, is probably the most sought after painting by art thieves in history. It has been stolen twice and was only recently recovered. In 1994, during the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, The Scream was stolen from an Oslo gallery by two thieves who broke through an open window, set off the alarm and left a note saying: thanks for the poor security.

Three months later, the holders of the painting approached the Norwegian Government with an offer: 1 million dollars ransom for Edvard Munchs The Scream. The Government turned down the offer, but the Norwegian police collaborated with the British Police and the Getty Museum to organize a sting operation that brought back the painting to where it belongs.

Ten years later, The Scream was stolen again from the Munch Museum. This time, the robbers used a gun and took another of Munchs painting with them. While Museum officials waiting for the thieves to request ransom money, rumors claimed that both paintings were burned to conceal evidence. Eventually, the Norwegian police discovered the two paintings on August 31, 2006 but the facts on how they were recovered are not known yet.

Backgammon History

Backgammon has been around for many years, and many different people have been playing the game. Backgammon history is not known by many people, however it is an interesting piece of information to look into. If you are a big player of the game, backgammon history may be a story you want to hear about. Here we go.

Backgammon is the oldest game ever played. It is said to come from the Greek. It is said to be originated in what is known to us today as Kuwait and Iraq. This was between the times of 2900 and 1800 BC. So as I said, it is a very old game.

Back in this time a group of people called the Sumerians lived in this area and they were known for some cultural creations like the wheel and math system. They also were thought to be the inventors of the first written language.

They made their own version of the board used for the game and came up with their own pieces to play with. Scientists found proof of this many, many years later and figured out they were playing backgammon.

Backgammon was found to be played by nobles and the royal party. However now and maybe even then, all cultures and all classes of society play game.

The Egyptians and the Romans played the game, however, they had different names for it. One was the 鉄enet・or the Tabula. They were played with the same intentions, only different names and tables.

In the early societies, the game of backgammon was banned. In Japan, it was illegal. It is interesting to think about today, that a board game was once outlawed in a society.

In the late 60痴, the game of backgammon became very popular. Everyone seemed to take an interest in the game and they were playing in living rooms across the globe.

Now with all the technology of the world, you do not have to rely on a board game and getting out all the pieces. If you have access to the Internet, then you can play backgammon with the click of a mouse. There are many versions of the game offered online and you can play alone in the privacy of your own home or at the office while taking lunch.

With the availability of Internet backgammon, you can practice up without anyone knowing. You can have the advantage over the other players when it comes time to compete with friends or family and some day you may even be ready for a tournament. Tournament play sounds like great fun.

http://www.backgammonholygrail.com

Baccarat History and American Baccarat Rules

If we put aside the black ties, the velvet curtains and the overall exclusive atmosphere, baccarat is one of the simplest casino games around. In addition, baccarat is a beatable game with a low house edge, which makes it one of the best bets you can make! Here you can read about baccarat history and learn how to play the game.

Both the American and European versions of baccarat and the French Chemin de Fer are late developments of the Italian game called baccara, which means zero in Italian. The origins of baccara go back to an old Etruscan myth. According to the myth, a blonde virgin had to toss a nine sided die to decide on her destiny. If the die landed on eight or nine, she would have to fulfill her destiny and become a priest. If the die landed on six or seven, she would be forbidden to participate in any religious activity. If the die landed on any other number, the virgin had to walk into the sea.

The Italian game baccara was popular among French aristocracy during the end of the 15th century. Baccara had evolved to the European version of baccarat, which is still played in European casinos today as well as the French variation of baccarat known as Chemin de Fer, which is mainly played in casinos in France. The American version of the game was introduced to Nevada casinos in the 1950s by Francis Tommy Renzoni, who imported the game from Havana.

Baccarat still carries an aroma of aristocracy and exclusivity. In American casinos, baccarat is played in a separated area of the casino, hidden behind velvet curtains. Baccarat players are usually dressed up and the betting limits are higher comparing to other table games. In order to attract the medium budget players, a lower limit version of baccarat, called mini baccarat, was invented. Mini baccarat is played on a smaller table, inside the casino gambling area with lower betting limits than baccarat.

How to Play Baccarat

Baccarat is played with 3 dealers and up to 12 or 14 players. Baccarat is usually played with 8 standard card decks. Aces valued as one, face cards and ten cards valued as zero, and the rest of the number cards worth their face value. The suit has no meaning. The object of the game is to get as close to 9 as possible.

The play begins by all players, including the dealer, placing their bets either on the player, the banker, or on a tie. Traditionally, the dealer bets on the banker. The dealer can be the house dealer or one of the players. After everyone has placed their bets, the dealer gives two cards to each player and to the banker.

The score of each hand is calculated as the sum of the two cards minus the left digit. For example, if the sum of the two cards is 15, the score would be 5. The decision whether to deal a third card is determined by a set or rules and it is not up to the player or the dealers decision.

If the score of the players hand is 9 or 8, he wins

If the score of the dealers hand is 9 or 8, it is a tie

If a players score is 7 or 6, he can be dealt a third card

If a players score is 5 or less, he has to receive a third card

If a player gets a third card and the score of the dealers hand is 2, 1 or 0, he must draw a third card

If the score of the dealers hand is 3 and the players third card is any value but 8, he must draw a third card

If the score of the dealers hand is 4 and the players third card value is between 2 and 7, he must draw a third card

If the score of the dealers hand is 5 and the players third card value is between 4 and seven, he must draw a third card

If the score of the dealers hand is 6 and the players third card is 6 or 7, he must draw a third card.

If the score of the dealers hand is 7, he cannot draw a third card.