Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum closed by coronavirus

Thieves stole a Vincent van Gogh painting from a Dutch museum closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, its director announced on Monday.

The Dutch master’s 1884 work Lentetuin, or Spring Garden, was taken from the the Singer Laren museum, located in a town 30km from Amsterdam.

"I am extremely pissed off that this happened. This is a huge blow," museum director Jan Rudolph de Lorm said in a press conference streamed on YouTube. "Art is for enjoyment and comfort, especially in this difficult time."

Police said the break-in took place at about 3.15 on Monday morning, and appealed for information to help their investigation.

Twitter bans Web Summit ad promoting Chinese government statement

---

Coronavirus: WHO on defensive after outcry over Taiwan snub

---

Greencore moves to eliminate costs as coronavirus bites

---

Much quieter than Christmas day – road traffic levels collapse

---

Spring Garden was on loan from the Groninger Museum of the northern Netherlands. It depicts the garden of the rectory in Nuenen, Brabant, where van Gogh's father was a minister, with a church tower in the background.

“This theft is a great shock to all of us, including our colleagues from the Singer Laren,” Groninger Museum director Andreas Blühm told RTL Nieuws. “We hope that the work returns as soon as possible and undamaged. What else can I say? It is very bitter.”

The Singer Laren is made up of the works of the collection of US couple Anna and William Singer, established in the 1950s. It is also home to works by Piet Mondriaan, Jan Toorop, and one of the 50 original casts of The Thinker by Auguste Rodin.

The museum was subjected to a major break in in 2007, when seven statues from its garden were stolen.