7 Famous Art Heists in History
Unsolved Mysteries in the World of Art”
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist (1990):
On March 18, 1990, two men who looked like police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They overpowered the security guards and stole 13 art pieces valued at over $500 million. Among the stolen works were Vermeer’s and Rembrandt’s “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee.” The thieves also took Degas’ “La Sortie de Pesage” and several other valuable pieces.
Despite extensive investigations and a $10 million reward, the stolen art still needs to be recovered. The empty frames remain displayed at the museum as a reminder of the theft.
Theft of the Scream (1994):
Edvard Munch’s iconic painting “The Scream” was stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway, on February 12, 1994. The thieves broke a window and took the painting off the wall.
The painting was recovered later the same year in a sting operation in Norway. It was slightly damaged during the theft but has since been restored and is back on display.
Theft of the Mona Lisa (1911):
The Mona Lisa, the famous art heist in history, was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1911. An Italian handyman, Vincenzo Peruggia, hid in the museum overnight and took the painting.
The painting was missing for over two years before being recovered in 1913. Peruggia had hidden it in a trunk in his apartment in Italy, hoping to return it to Italy as a patriotic act.
Stolen Van Gogh Paintings (2002):
Two valuable Van Gogh paintings, “View of the Sea at Congregation Leaving the Church in Nuenen,” were stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in netherlands amsterdam in 2002.
They were recovered in 2016 in Italy during a raid on the Naples-based Camorra crime syndicate. The paintings were in relatively good condition.
Theft of the Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1990):
This Rembrandt masterpiece was stolen alongside other valuable art during the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist in 1990. The thieves cut the painting from its frame.
To this day, “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” remains missing, making it one of history’s most significant unsolved art thefts.
Theft at the Tate Gallery (1994):
Two J.M.W. Turner paintings were stolen from the Tate Gallery in London in 1994. They were part of a series known as the “Turner Bequest.” The thieves removed them from their frames.
The paintings were recovered in 2002 in a police sting operation. They were found in a bag in a left luggage locker at a railway station in England.
Theft of The Concert (2003):
“The Concert” by Johannes Vermeer was a stolen piece from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist in 1990. It remains missing, along with other stolen artworks from that heist.
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