FACTBOX: High profile art thefts

(Reuters) - Precious paintings worth over 180 million Swiss francs ($164 million) were stolen from a Zurich museum in an armed robbery on Sunday, police said on Monday, the second dramatic art theft in the area in recent days.

Here are details of some major art thefts:

April 1991 - In the world's biggest art robbery, 20 paintings, estimated to be worth $500 million, were stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. They were found shortly afterwards in an abandoned car not far from the museum.

Nov 1993 - Eight works by Picasso and French cubist Georges Braque, valued at some $60 million, were stolen from Stockholm's Modern Museum. Some were recovered in the following months.

Dec 22, 2001 - "Conversation" and "A Young Parisienne" by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir and a self-portrait by Dutch master Rembrandt were stolen from Stockholm's National Museum. "Conversation" was recovered the following April.

Dec 7, 2002 - Two Vincent Van Gogh oil paintings worth millions of dollars were snatched by thieves in a daring robbery at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.

Aug 27, 2003 - In Scotland, thieves stole the "Madonna With the Yarnwinder" by Leonardo da Vinci. The work, painted in the early 16th century, was valued at about $53 million.

Aug 22, 2004 - Armed robbers stole "The Scream" from the Munch Museum in Oslo, a different version from the one stolen in 1994. Thieves also stole "Madonna" by Munch. The paintings, both from 1893, were recovered in August 2006.

Feb 26, 2007 - Two Picasso paintings, identified by police as "Maya a la poupee" (Maya with doll) a 1938 portrait of his daughter, and "Portrait de femme, Jacqueline" were stolen from the painters daughter's house in Paris. The paintings were recovered in August.

June 10 - A rare 17th-century Dutch painting insured for $1.2 million, a self portrait "A Cavalier" by Frans van Mieris the Elder, was stolen from a major Sydney gallery.

August 5 - Armed thieves stole four priceless paintings by Impressionists Monet and Sisley, and Flemish painter Jan Brueghel the Elder, from a museum in Nice, France.

December 20 - In Brazil thieves stole Picasso's 1904 work "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch", worth up to $50 million, and local painter Candido Portinari's 1939 "The Coffee Worker," valued at about $5.5 million, from Sao Paulo's leading art museum. Both paintings were recovered the next month. insured for A$1.4 million ($1.2 million)

Feb 6, 2008 - Two Picasso paintings worth several million dollars, the "Tete de Cheval" (Horse's head), from 1962, and "Verre et Pichet" (Glass and pitcher), from 1944 were stolen from a cultural centre in the eastern Swiss town of Pfaeffikon.

Feb 11, 2008 - Oil paintings by Cezanne, Degas, van Gogh and Monet were among those stolen from a museum in Zurich. The paintings are said to be worth $164 million.

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)