Art
THE MYSTERY OF THE BIGGEST
This March 18th marks the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest art heists in modern history...
March 22, 20255 min readAbrakadabra Editorial
Editorial Focus
This March 18th marks the 35th anniversary of one of the art world's greatest mysteries: the theft of 13 valuable works from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Estimated at between $200 million and over $1 billion, this crime remains unsolved, and the stolen pieces remain missing.
In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men disguised as police officers managed to enter the museum, overpowered the security guards, and, after more than an hour inside, fled with 13 works of art. Among them were priceless pieces, such as Johannes Vermeer's The Concert and Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt's only marine painting. Since then, no arrests have been made, nor have any of the works been recovered, despite numerous theories about their whereabouts, which point to places such as Philadelphia, Ireland, and Corsica.
Determining the true value of these pieces is complicated. Gardner, the visionary collector and founder of the museum, stipulated in her will that no work could be sold or removed. In honor of this wish, the museum keeps the empty frames on display, awaiting their return.
Estimates of the works' value have evolved over the years. In 2000, the FBI set the figure at $500 million, although experts such as Otto Naumann, a former Sotheby's executive, have suggested that today they could exceed $1 billion. Vermeer's Concerto alone could be worth as much as Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, which sold in 2017 for more than $450 million. Another challenge is the condition the pieces might be in, if they are ever recovered. Several were cut from their frames with razor blades, suggesting they may have suffered significant damage.
To commemorate the anniversary, the museum has unveiled a sound installation in the Dutch Room, where six of the works were stolen. Created by sound artist Skooby Laposky, the experience transports visitors to the scene of Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee through the sounds of waves, birds, and storms.
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