U.S. To Return Rare Edgar Degas Painting To France

NEW YORK (AP/CBSNewYork) -- U.S. authorities said a rare Edgar Degas painting that was stolen from a museum in 1973 is being returned to the French government.

U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch and Homeland Security Special Agent James T. Hayes Jr. announced Thursday that an agreement had been reached with a New York based art collector for the painting's return.

The signed work is called "Blanchisseuses souffrant des dent," or "Laundry Woman with a Toothache." It was painted around 1870 to 1872.

It was stolen from the Malraux Museum in Le Havre, Normandy, on Dec. 27, 1973.

"At the time of its theft, the artwork was on loan to the museum from the collection of the French government, which considers the Degas artwork to be a national treasure," Robert Nardoza of the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a press release.

It was rediscovered last month when it appeared in a Sotheby's New York catalog. Sotheby's promptly pulled the piece from its auction and cooperated with authorities. Its presale estimate was $350,000 to $450,000.

"The return of this masterpiece to the French government reflects our commitment to ensure the return of stolen artwork and cultural patrimony," stated Lynch. "We are very pleased to have recovered this historic piece of art and look forward to its return to the French government," said ICE Special Agent in Charge Hayes.

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