DUTCH MASTERWORK PAINTING STOLEN FOR THE THIRD TIME

Thieves have stolen the painting titled “Two Laughing Boys” by Dutch golden age artist Frans Hals from a museum in the Netherlands. Frans Hals was a contemporary of fellow masters Rembrandt and Vermeer. He is best known for works including “The Laughing Cavalier”. This is the third time “Two Laughing Boys” has been stolen from the Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden museum in Leerdam. It was first stolen in 1988 and recovered after three years, and was stolen again in 2011 and recovered after six months. In this case, police say that the back door of the museum had been forced open, and this was the only painting stolen. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand – dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the art world” after tracking down a series of stolen works – tweeted that “the hunt is on” for the “very important and precious painting by Frans Hals.”
* Hey, “Indiana Jones of the art world” – get over yourself.
* I’ll bet he goes around saying, “The name is Brand. Arthur Brand.”
* “The back door! Damn, we never thought of that!”
* The two boys are laughing. The museum manager – not so much.
* Look, fellas, this time just keep it. It’s spent more time with you than the museum anyway.