The theft of the Watteau from the Louvre, carried out,
as it appears to have been, in broad daylight, when the galleries were open to the general public, is on the face of it a remarkable achievement. But given enough self-confidence and a confederate or two to keep watch, it ought not to be really difficult to carry through. Few members of the public would think it their business to interfere with a maxi looking like an official who openly removed a picture (small enough to be easily portable) from the wall, or would, indeed, take much notice of him, any more than the passers-by in Piccadilly did when the historic Cambridge practical jokers of thirty-five years ago dressed themselves as workmen and proceeded to dig a hole in the thoroughfare. It is the kind of thing that cannot be done often, but, on the whole, it is surprising that it is not done oftener.
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