Edvard Munch’s The Scream was recovered May 7, 1994, after it was stolen 3 months previously.

The Scream
From 150th Birth anniversary of Edvard Munch series
Released by Norwegian Post February 13, 2013
Designed by Enzo Finger

The painting was stolen February 12 from an Oslo Museum, the same day as the Lillehammer Winter Olympics opened.  It was taken in a smash and grab that took less than a minute to pull off.  Two men were caught on camera climbing a ladder to the second story where the painting was kept. They smashed the window, climbed through, snipped the wires holding the painting to the wall and scrambled back out the window. In its place, one of the thieves tucked a postcard with “Thanks for the poor security” scribbled on the back. 

Although the windows were wired to a security alarm, that was the only precaution. No bars, or special security features were installed on the windows because museum officials, at the time, assumed no one would want to crawl through broken glass to gain admission. 

“We didn’t figure that thieves would climb through broken glass,” Mr Berg

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said. “There was a lot of glass. I wouldn’t have dared to go through all that glass.”  How two men stole Edvard Munch’s The Scream in just 50 seconds — and how authorities managed to get the painting back – ABC News.

Initially a million-dollar ransom was demanded for its return, but Norwegian authorities refused to pay up. Instead, a sting operation was planned.  The thieves were described as “a bunch of Oslo no-hopers” by a Scotland Yard detective who helped recover the artwork. Metropolitan Police’s art and antiques unit, along with Oslo police came up with a plan to pose as “slightly dodgy” art dealers interested in acquiring the painting. Once they arrived in Norway, the two Met officers made contact with the group responsible and started tracking all involved. 

“What we did in this particular case [was] to go from a person who knew someone who knew someone else, and we just followed that chain until we met the people who controlled the painting,” Mr Hill [Met police officer] said. (ibid)

Four men were arrested for their part in the art theft, including former pro footballer Pål Enger who had been convicted of a previous Munch theft (Love and Pain) in 1988.