NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) –– A man posing as an art buff made off with an expensive Salvador Dali painting from a Madison Avenue gallery on Tuesday.

Now, police are asking for your help in trying to find him.

The suspect entered the Venus Over Manhattan Art Gallery on June 19 and posed as a potential customer before swiping the $150,000 painting. The Dali piece is from 1949 and was hanging in a dimly lit, third-floor gallery until the man snatched it, authorities said.

“We believe he had this painting in mind, ” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, adding that the alleged thief came in with an empty shopping bag and took the work when the guard was distracted.

The suspect is described as a white man, approximately 35 to 45 years old, between 5-foot-7 and 5-9 with a receding hairline. He was wearing a black and white shirt, dark-colored jeans and dark footwear, police said.

He was last seen walking westbound on East 77th Street.

The gallery’s owner would not talk about the heist. Police said galleries should boost security in the wake of several recent thefts.

Anyone with information in regards to this suspect is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are kept strictly confidential.

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