Why do thieves steal art masterpieces from museums or private collectors' Unlike gold or jewels, a famous painting, easily recognized as one created by say Rembrandt, Picasso, or Degas, cannot be sold on the legitimate market, no matter how much it is worth. Nor can it be displayed as a trophy. Sooner or layer, word of its location would get back to the rightful owner. Nevertheless, cr persist in stealing famous masterpieces even though some soon find out that the painting is a burden and end up discarding it because it can't be sold. Other thieves, however. try to use artworks in underworld deals, exchanging them for drugs, forged documents, or illegal weapons. Still other criminals use the paintings to gain prestige among their colleagues. In fact, stolen works are occasionally recovered because a robber brags about the crime, and someone tells the police in exchange for a reward.