'Two Laughing Boys': 17th century Frans Hals painting stolen for the third time

The painting is believed to be worth Dh65m and was also stolen in 2011 and 1988

'Two Laughing Boys' by Frans Hals (1626). The painting has been stolen from a small museum in the Netherlands. Alamy

The artwork Two Laughing Boys by Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals seems to be an ever-enduring target for thieves. Last week, the 17th century painting was stolen for the third time.

The incident took place at the Hofje van Aerden museum in the Dutch town of Leerdam on Wednesday morning. The police statement revealed that the alarm went off at 3.30am, prompting police to send agents to the scene. By the time they arrived, however, the thieves and painting were gone. Police found that the back door had been forced open.

This photograph taken on November 3, 2011, shows District Chief of Alblasserwaard, Bart Willemsen showing the recovered painting 'Two Laughing Boys' by Frans Hals after it was stolen that year. The painting was stolen again on August 27 in Leerdam, the Netherlands. ANP

Two Laughing Boys, which was painted in 1626, was first stolen in 1988, along with a work by lesser-known painter Jacob van Ruisdael. Both works were recovered three years later and the perpetrators were convicted.

In 2011, the same paintings were stolen again. This time, they were tracked down by police after four men tried to sell the works on the black market.

Art detective Arthur Brand estimates that the value of Hals's painting is around €15 million (Dh65m). He also believes that the work was "stolen to order".

He said criminals were aware that, in comparison to major museums, smaller museums have less robust security measures in place.

“It's very difficult to secure small museums as it costs too much money. If they want to have your stuff, they'll get in,” he told the BBC.

In March, another small Dutch museum was the target of burglars while it was closed because of the pandemic. An early work by Vincent Van Gogh titled The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring was taken around the time of the artist's 167th birthday. Similar to the Hals theft, the alarm went off, but the criminal or criminals were gone by the time the police arrived.