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The five paintings stolen from the Pretoria Art Museum in Arcadia yesterday included an Irma Stern, worth 9 million rands and a Gerard Sekoto worth 7 million.
A sixth painting, Irma Stern's "Two Malay Musicians", valued at 12 million rand was dumped on the pavement outside the museum after the robbery.
Apparently, the robbers were unable to fit it into their getaway car, a silver Toyota Avanza.
They also made off with Maggie Laubser's "Cat and Petunias, valued at 1 million rand, JH Pierneef's "Eland and Bird", valued at 45-thousand and Hugo Naude's "Hottentot Chief", worth 300-thousand rand.
According to museum staff who were held up at gunpoint, the thieves arrived with a "shopping list" of what they wanted, and demanded to be given specific paintings.
Art expert Stephen Welz said the theft was a tragedy, but that he was puzzled by it, as famous works of art were so well documented that it was nearly impossible to sell them, locally or abroad.
