Stolen Monet Painting Is Back And Better Than Ever

PARIS - The celebrated painting by Claude Monet that lent its name to the Impressionist movement was back on display Tuesday at the museum from which is was stolen in a daring holdup more than five years ago.

"Impression, Soleil Levant" (Impression, Sunrise) suffered no damage "except that of being shut up in a cubbyhole for five years," said the curator of the Marmottan Museum, Arnaud d'Hauterives.

He said the painting, rehung along with eight others stolen at the time, is now in even better condition that before it was stolen. After being recovered, experts removed the yellowed varnish applied to it by the husband of the painter's second wife, Alice, returning the colors to their original tones.

The paintings were stolen Oct. 27, 1985, by an armed gang of seven who forced a guard and visitors to lie on the floor while they carried off the art works.

"Impression, Sunrise," painted in 1873, was recovered Dec. 5 by French police in Porto Vecchio, Corsica.

"We will without doubt never know who ordered the theft," said d'Hauterives.

Among the other stolen works returned were Monet's "Sur La Plage a Trouville" (On the Beach at Trouville), "Portrait de Jean Monet," "Champ de Tulipes en Hollande" (Field of Tulips in Holland) and "Portrait de Poly," along with "Au Bal" de Berthe Morisot and "Baigneuse Assise Sur un Rocher" (Bather Seated on a Rock) by Renoir.