The Paris Art Heist 2010: Five Masterpieces Stolen from Musée d'Art Moderne

The Case in Brief

In the early hours of May 20, 2010, five of the world's most celebrated paintings disappeared from the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. The man behind the theft was Franco-Serbian burglar Vjeran Tomic, known in criminal circles as "Spiderman" — a nickname earned through his remarkable ability to scale building facades and move in complete silence. The case became one of the most widely discussed art crimes in modern European history. Two co-defendants, antiques dealer Gérard Corvez and watchmaker Yonathan Birn, were subsequently convicted of handling stolen goods. Despite a verdict delivered by the Tribunal correctionnel de Paris in February 2017, none of the stolen works have ever been recovered.

The Crime

Tomic exploited two specific vulnerabilities at the museum that night: a faulty alarm system and easy access through a window. The museum, owned by the City of Paris, holds a significant collection of modern and contemporary art. The five works Tomic targeted were among its most important holdings.

The stolen paintings were:

- Pablo Picasso: Le Pigeon aux petits pois ("Dove with Green Peas")

- Henri Matisse: a painting from the museum's permanent collection

- Georges Braque: a painting from the museum's permanent collection

- Amedeo Modigliani: a painting from the museum's permanent collection

- Fernand Léger: a painting from the museum's permanent collection

Together, these five artists represent a central strand of European modernism, and their presence in a single public collection reflected decades of systematic acquisitions by the City of Paris. That all five works vanished in a single night underlines just how calculated and well-prepared the break-in was.

According to evidence later presented in court, Tomic methodically exploited the museum's security weaknesses. The faulty alarm meant his entry triggered no immediate response, and the route through a window demanded exactly the kind of physical agility that had earned him his nickname. Tomic has been described in French criminal records as a highly experienced burglar with a long career behind him.

art theft

The Investigation

French authorities launched an investigation immediately, and over the following years they gradually uncovered a network of individuals connected to the planning of the theft and the subsequent attempt to sell the works. The investigation led to the identification and arrest of Tomic and his two co-defendants, Gérard Corvez and Yonathan Birn.

Corvez, who ran an antiques business, and Birn, who worked as a watchmaker, were suspected of having received and attempted to pass on the stolen works — that is, of handling stolen goods.

A central and still unresolved question in the case concerns the fate of the paintings. The investigation revealed that the stolen works could not be converted into money on the illegal market — they are too well known to be sold through open channels. Information emerged during proceedings suggesting the works may have been destroyed, but this has never been conclusively confirmed.

stolen masterpieces

Trial and Verdict

The case was heard before the Tribunal correctionnel de Paris, the French criminal court handling serious offences. In February 2017 — nearly seven years after the theft — the court delivered its verdict.

Vjeran Tomic was sentenced to 8 years in prison as the primary perpetrator. Gérard Corvez received 7 years, and Yonathan Birn was sentenced to 6 years. All three were also ordered to pay compensation to the City of Paris as the owner of the missing works.

During the trial, Tomic reportedly attempted to charm the court — without success. The proceedings shed light on the organised dimension of art crime: the actual theft is only one link in a chain that depends on receivers and handlers willing to try to profit from the stolen objects.

The sentences reflect the French court's view of art theft of this nature as a serious crime — not only against the owner, but against the cultural heritage that publicly owned collections represent.

cultural heritage crime

The Case Today

Despite the conviction of all three defendants, none of the five stolen paintings have ever resurfaced. The works — by Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Modigliani and Léger — remain registered as missing and are the subject of an ongoing international search.

The case has become a textbook example of the paradox at the heart of high-profile art theft: stolen masterpieces are rarely convertible into money, because they are too well known to be sold openly. Instead, they risk being lost to posterity — either destroyed or hidden with no prospect of recovery.

The trial has concluded with a first-instance verdict. Further details about the current situation of those convicted have not been included, as they cannot be verified from available sources.