Degas' 1877 work "Les Choristes" had been missing for nearly a decade. It was stolen while on loan from the Musee d'Orsay.
Image: Reuters/D. Francaise
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France's Culture Ministry announced on Friday that it had recovered a painting by the impressionist master Edgar Degas that was stolen more than eight years ago.
"Les Choristes," or "The Chorus Singers" was discovered inside a piece of luggage on a coach bus during a security check on Feburary 16. The ministry said that no one on board the bus in Marne-la-Vallee, outside Paris, claimed to own the suitcase.
The 1877 painting depicts a line of men singing in the Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni," based on the legend of Don Juan.
Degas' piece disappeared in Marseille in 2009, where it was on loan from Paris' Musee D'Orsay.
Culture Minister Francoise Nyssen hailed the return of the work, "whose disappearance represented a heavy loss for the French impressionist heritage."
Although considered one of the founders of the impressionist movement, Degas himself disliked the term, and thought himself a "realist." He is particularly well known for his depictions of movement, especially dancers. He died in 1917, leaving behind a robust body of work that comprised not only painting, but also sculpture, prints and drawings.
Museum Barberini presents Impressionists
Potsdam near Berlin has a new museum. SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner built the freshly inaugurated Museum Barberini to house his art collection. The first show features Monet, Renoir and other Impressionists.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B. von Jutrczenka
A reflection of time
Dressed in the historic robes of a Roman palace, the new Museum Barberini is located in the heart of Potsdam, situated just outside of Berlin. The reconstructed building doesn't just fill a hole on Potsdam's old market square, it also serves to enrich the museum landscape in the Berlin region at large.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Hirschberger
High-ranking guests
The opening of Museum Barberini was celebrated with pominent visitors including German Chancellor Angela Merkel und Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B. von Jutrczenka
The patron
SAP co-founder SAP Hasso Plattner is one of the wealthiest people in Germany. He is a patron of the sciences and the arts. Plattner says he wants others to be able to enjoy his art collection - one that is worth millions.
Image: Museum Barberini, Potsdam
Stepping forward
"Der Jahrhundertschritt" - or, "the step of a century" - is the title of the statue that graces the courtyard in Museum Barberini. It is the work of the late sculptor Wolfgang Mattheuer, who hailed from the former East Germany (GDR). Hasso Plattner's collection features works from the former GDR as well as Impressionist and Classical Modern paintings.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/B. Settnik
Honorary citizen
Hasso Plattner, who was born in Berlin, is respected as a generous supporter of the sciences and arts. Potsdam has named him an honorary citizen.
Image: Helge Mundt, Museum Barberini, Potsdam
Opening with Impressionists
Claude Monet didn't only paint water lilies, but also a series of haystacks. This painting from the series was created in 1891 and is among the Impressionist works featured at Museum Barberini's opening exhibition.
Image: Museum Barberini, Potsdam
Mood lighting
Claude Monet also painted Les Petites Dalles on multiple occasions - the dramatic cliffs on the coast of Normandy. This work from 1884 depicts the steep cliff at low tide. The play of light on the water and rocks made Les Petites Dalles an ideal motif for the Impressionists.
Image: Museum Barberini, Potsdam
Frost in Giverny
This work, "Frost in Giverny," is a 1885 work by Claude Monet. The master of light is the star of the Museum Barberini's opening show. Like many other Impressionists, he aimed to relish the moment and capture it on canvas.
Image: Museum Barberini, Potsdam
The director
Art historian Ortrud Westheider was the director of the Bucerius Kunstform in Hamburg before she took over the Museum Barberini in April 2016. How will the new museum establish itself on the international art scene? The opening exhibition sets the bar high.
