Cézanne, Degas, van Gogh, Monet—could one go for bigger artists’ works to steal? In case you missed it, four legendary Impressionist works disappeared from the E.G. Bührle Collection in Zurich, Switzerland—in about 3 minutes—on Feb. 10, according to the BBC, NPR, New York Times, swissinfo. The estimated loss is $163.2 million, making the unfortunate event one of the biggest art heists the world has seen in 20 years.

The stolen paintings are: Poppies near Vetheuil, by Claude Monet (1879); Count Lepic and his Daughters, by Edgar Degas (1871); Chestnut in Bloom, by Vincent van Gogh (1890); and Boy in a Red Jacket, by Paul Cézanne (1888).

Click here for a virtual tour of the room where the four paintings used to hang.



UPDATE (2/20/08): Two paintings have been recovered. Read more from NPR.