What Art Was Stolen From the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum?

Art|Art Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts is one of the United States’ oldest and most prestigious art museums. Founded by philanthropist and art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1903, the museum holds a collection of over 2,500 pieces of artwork. On March 18th 1990, it became the site of one of the largest unsolved art heists in history when two thieves disguised as police officers broke into the museum and stole 13 works of art valued at an estimated $500 million.

The stolen items included some of the world’s most famous paintings, such as Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Johannes Vermeer’s The Concert, three sketches by Edgar Degas, and five drawings by Edouard Manet. Also stolen were a Chinese beaker from the Qing Dynasty and an ancient finial from a Napoleonic banner. The identity of the thieves has never been discovered.

The FBI has continued to investigate the case for over 30 years without any new leads or clues being uncovered. Despite numerous rewards offered for information leading to their capture or return of the artwork, no arrests have been made. Additionally, no credible ransom demands have been received and it appears that most if not all of these works may never be recovered.

Conclusion:

On March 18th 1990, thirteen priceless works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The identities of those responsible remain unknown to this day despite ongoing investigations by both local law enforcement and the FBI. As a result, it is likely that these masterpieces will remain lost forever.