What Is the Largest Art Heist in History?

Art|Art History

On March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The burglary was one of the most significant art thefts in history and is still unsolved today.

The stolen works included pieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and Manet. The value of the stolen artwork is estimated to be around $500 million.

The thief or thieves entered the museum through a side door shortly after 1:24 am. They tied up two guards on duty and proceeded to steal 13 works of art from the museum’s galleries.

They left with a Rembrandt seascape painting, three sketches by Degas, a Manet landscape painting, and nine drawings and watercolors by Rembrandt.

The FBI has been investigating the theft since it occurred 30 years ago but has yet to make any arrests or recover any of the stolen artwork. In 2013, the FBI released new information about the case which provided clues as to who may have carried out the theft. Despite this development, no progress has been made in returning any of the artwork to its rightful place.

Conclusion:

What is known as “the largest art heist in history” remains unsolved today. On March 18th 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston with an estimated value of $500 million dollars. The FBI has yet to make any arrests or recover any of the artwork that was taken that fateful night.