B1 – Intermediate
On May 20, 2010 Pablo Picasso’s Le pigeon aux petit pois was stolen from a museum in Paris. The thieves must have gotten nervous and panicked. The $123 million painting was later found in a trashcan. Thankfully, it was retrieved. However, many other artworks that are stolen are never recovered.
Trafficking of stolen artworks is a big problem but with the cooperation of the Interpol, national police forces, and customs some pieces of art have been recovered.
Read more about problems with art theft from the link below.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2005/200511-artwork-0.html
Discussion Questions:
- What can you say about the good job that the police have done?
- What is your reaction that some art were stolen when some countries were at war?
- Why do think art theft is a big problem?
- What is your favorite piece of art and why?
- Name another artwork that you know has been stolen.
4 replies on “Thousands of Stolen Artwork Found”
What can you say about the good job that the police have done?
Yes, the police have done a very good job because the art is treasures and this situation permit that countries recovery your treasures and history. Adittionaly, the police show that impunity is not an option
I’m sure that police was doing investigation a lot of time for this good results.
What is your reaction that some art were stolen when some countries were at war?
It’s incredible how the human give important anything instead the live. This is inhuman, some people think about money or treasures, while other people is dead for wars. I think that this people should pay with jail for a lot of years.
Why do think art theft is a big problem?
Because is a big red. This is an international organization and it’s a big lose for the countries. The people that buy this art, should to be investigate too.
What is your favorite piece of art and why?
I don’t know a lot about art, but my favorite piece of art is “The Meninas” because I remenbered when I studied at school and I have a signatura “Art” and I remembered a lot this picture in my book and I went to Madrid for vacations ten years after and I saw the picture. I felt emotion and I come back when I studied this picture at school.
Name another artwork that you know has been stolen.
La Gioconda or Mona Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci is the more famous art of the world and it has a big historical value. The stole was in 1991, when the carpenter who worked in the museum steal it. The picture recovered two years after.
We recognize the hard work you put into your comments here. Well done! Please look at how you can express this phrase using better words:
… while other people is dead for wars.
> while other people are dying because of the wars.
All your hard work is definitely paying off.
1. What can you say about the good job that the police have done?
The job of the police is the best, because sometimes the weapons they have are few.
2. What is your reaction that some art were stolen when some countries were at war?
thieves are people to obtain benefits in the worse moment in the country or in the world.
3. Why do think art theft is a big problem?
Because the thives not only art theft, history theft of the countries.
4. What is your favorite piece of art and why?
I don’t understand much about art, but my favorite pieces of art are the antique buildings.
5. Name another artwork that you know has been stolen.
If I am not mistaken, Picasso’s Guernica, i remember.
Artworks being stolen is a real problem. Here is a better expression you can use in this sentence:
thieves are people to obtain benefits in the worse moment in the country or in the world.
> Thieves are people TAKING ADVANTAGE OF the WORST moment in ANOTHER country or in the world.
Keep practicing your writing skills by answering your lesson’s discussion questions.