Stolen Swedish painting sold for 2.9 mln crowns
12:39 p.m. Nov 26, 1998 Eastern
STOCKHOLM, Nov 26 (Reuters) - A Swedish painting by national artist
Carl Larsson which was stolen 11 years ago has fetched 2.9 million
Swedish crowns ($372,500) at auction, a Stockholm auctioneer said on
Thursday.

An anonymous Swedish collector took home ``Fairy Tales'' for about
twice the 1.2 to 1.5 million Swedish crowns ($192,700-$154,200) it was
expected to go for, Auktionsverket managing director Niclas Forsman
said.

The painting, showing a little girl reading to her brother, was stolen
from a Stockholm flat in 1987. No one will be convicted for the theft
now as the crime is more than 10 years old.

The seller of the painting said it was bought from a businessman in
1990. Police said the painting may have passed through several owners
before then.

``This was quite an important piece. We knew the story behind it so we
had to make sure everything was clear for the sale,'' Forsman told
Reuters.

``The owner who sold it was the proper owner this time,'' Forsman
said.

($1-7.784 Swedish Crown)


Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.
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