Where Did the Largest Art Heist in American History Take Place?

Art|Art History

The largest art heist in American history took place in the early morning hours of March 18, 1990 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. The robbery was carried out by two men posing as police officers, who gained entry to the museum by claiming they were responding to a disturbance call. Once inside, they handcuffed two museum guards and proceeded to steal 13 works of art valued at $500 million.

The pieces stolen included three paintings by Rembrandt, a self-portrait and two other works; five paintings by Degas; a Chinese vase; and four drawings by Manet. The perpetrators had an eye for high-value pieces but were unable to take some of the most valuable works because they were too large or too heavy.

The FBI has been investigating the case since 1990 but has yet to identify any suspects or recover any of the stolen artworks. It is believed that organized crime may have been involved in the heist and that the pieces may have been taken out of the country.

Despite an extensive investigation, no arrests have been made and none of the artwork has been recovered. The museum offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to their return, but it has not produced any results so far.

Conclusion: The largest art heist in American history took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts on March 18th 1990.

Over 13 pieces worth $500 million were stolen and neither any suspects nor artwork have yet been recovered despite an extensive investigation. The case remains unsolved with no leads to follow up on.