In November of 1981, a man ran out of the Faure Museum in Aix-les-Bains in France.
The museum employee on duty that day saw two frames protruding from the gentleman's coat as he fled.
A chase ensued, but the thief escaped reducing the museum's collection by exactly one Pissarro and one Renoir.
Today we return the Pissarro, a lovely monotype of a fish market.
It is true that 30 years has passed since the theft, but I am sure that the ambassador would agree with me that there is no time like the present to return stolen property.
Today is indeed a great day thanks to all of you.
Due to the fact that Pissarro created only 24 monotypes in his career, including 12 colored ones, "Le Marché aux Poissons" is considered a unique work by the Impressionist master.
Thanks to this outstanding example of French-American cooperation in our common efforts to combat the illegal trade in stolen art and antiquities "Le Marché aux Poissons" will once again be seen by the public.
I absolutely love days like this because they are all about the triumph of right over wrong.
We aren't just addressing the theft of a given piece of art, we are protecting the cultural heritage of other countries and their citizens, just as we would expect them to do the same for us.
If we ignore these crimes we debase our past. We allow the arrogance of a few thieves and crooked art dealers to trump the education and historical identity of an entire people.
