Isabella Flores
On March 18, 1990, 13 works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, in what became known as the largest property theft in the world. The case remains unsolved, and none of the stolen works have been recovered. The FBI and the US Attorney's office are still seeking leads, and the museum is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the artworks. Theories abound as to the whereabouts of the stolen paintings, with some speculating they are hidden in an attic or basement, while others believe they may have been accidentally destroyed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Theft | March 18, 1990 |
| Time of Theft | Early hours |
| Number of thieves | 2 |
| Disguise of thieves | Policemen |
| Number of artworks stolen | 13 |
| Artworks stolen | Vermeer's The Concert, Rembrandt's Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt's A Lady and Gentleman in Black, Flinck's Landscape with an Obelisk, Edgar Degas' Cortège Sur Une Route Aux Environs De Florence, Manet's Chez Tortoni, and five other Degas drawings |
| Other items stolen | A 10-inch tall bronze eagle finial, an ancient Chinese beaker |
| Reward for information | $10 million |
| Reward for return of eagle finial | $100,000 |
| Status of case | Unsolved |
| Status of artworks | Not recovered |
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What You'll Learn
The Gardner Museum heist remains unsolved
On the morning of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers arrived at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They were buzzed in by a security guard who broke protocol. The thieves handcuffed and tied up the guard and another colleague in the basement. They then spent the next 81 minutes looting the museum.
The criminals made off with 13 works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Degas, as well as a Napoleonic eagle finial. The stolen works have been valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. The heist remains unsolved, and none of the artworks have been recovered.
The FBI and the US Attorney's office are still seeking viable leads. The museum is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen works. A separate reward of $100,000 is being offered for the return of the eagle finial.
There have been several theories about who was behind the heist. One theory suggests that gangster Bobby Donati organized the robbery to negotiate for his caporegime's release from prison. Donati was murdered a year after the heist. Another theory points to a gang in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, although they have denied involvement.
Some believe that the paintings were accidentally destroyed or damaged due to improper storage. Others speculate that the paintings are hidden in someone's basement, attic, or abandoned building, or even hanging on a wall in plain sight.
Despite the passage of time, the museum remains committed to resolving the crime and recovering the stolen artworks. The empty frames for the stolen paintings remain hanging in their respective locations, awaiting the potential return of the masterpieces.
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The stolen artworks have never been found
On March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The stolen artworks have never been found. The thieves, posing as policemen, handcuffed and tied up the security guards in the basement of the museum. They looted the museum for about an hour, cutting the paintings out of their frames, rolling them up, and likely causing damage to the artworks. The thieves stole five drawings by Edgar Degas, including "Cortège Sur Une Route Aux Environs De Florence" ("Procession on a Road Near Florence"), and two paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn, "Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and "A Lady and Gentleman in Black." They also took Vermeer's "The Concert," one of only 34 known paintings by the artist, and Flinck's "Landscape with an Obelisk." In addition to these paintings, they stole a bronze eagle finial and an ancient Chinese beaker from the Shang dynasty.
The case remains unsolved, with no arrests made and no artworks recovered. The FBI and the US Attorney's office are still seeking viable leads, and the museum is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen works. Theories abound about the whereabouts of the stolen artworks, with some speculating that they are hidden in someone's basement or attic, while others believe they may have been accidentally destroyed or painted over. Despite the passage of time, the museum still hopes for the return of the artworks, and the empty frames remain hanging in their respective locations as placeholders.
The investigation into the theft has focused on various suspects, including the Boston Mafia and gangster Bobby Donati, who was murdered a year after the robbery. Other leads have implicated a gang in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood and associates of the Merlino gang, including Robert Guarente and Robert Gentile. Guarente's widow, Elene, informed the FBI that her husband had previously owned some of the paintings. However, despite these leads and the efforts of law enforcement, the stolen artworks have never been located.
The theft of the 13 artworks from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum represents the largest property theft in the world. The artworks were valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, and their disappearance has left a significant cultural loss. The museum community and art enthusiasts worldwide continue to hope for the recovery of these invaluable pieces, but until concrete information or leads emerge, their fate remains a mystery.
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A $10 million reward is offered for information
On March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The case remains unsolved, with no arrests made and no artworks recovered. The stolen artworks were procured by art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924) and were intended for permanent display at the museum. Among them was Vermeer's "The Concert", one of only 34 known paintings by the artist and thought to be the most valuable unrecovered painting in the world. The museum has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen artworks, the largest bounty ever offered by a private institution.
The theft occurred when security guards admitted two men posing as policemen responding to a disturbance call. The thieves bound the guards and looted the museum over the next hour. The artworks stolen include "The Concert" by Vermeer, Rembrandt's "A Lady and Gentleman in Black", and "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man", Degas' "Cortège Sur Une Route Aux Environs De Florence", and a Napoleonic eagle finial. The total value of the stolen artworks has been estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The investigation into the theft has considered several suspects, including the Boston Mafia, which was engaged in an internal gang war at the time. One theory suggests that gangster Bobby Donati organised the heist to negotiate for his caporegime's release from prison. Donati was murdered one year after the robbery. Another theory implicates a gang in Boston's Dorchester neighbourhood, although these suspects have denied involvement. Associates of gangster Louis Royce may have also been involved, as he devised plans to rob the museum as early as 1981.
The museum's reward of $10 million for information leading to the recovery of the stolen artworks was doubled from $5 million in 2017 to underscore its determination to recover the art. This reward has only been exceeded by the US government's $25 million bounty for Osama bin Laden. The museum has received dozens of tips, but most have been unsubstantiated theories. Anyone with information about the stolen artworks is encouraged to contact the Gardner Museum directly.
The empty frames of the stolen paintings remain hanging in their respective locations in the museum as placeholders for their potential return, in accordance with Gardner's will, which decreed that nothing in her collection should be moved. The museum's commitment to resolving the crime has remained strong since its occurrence, and the FBI and the US Attorney's office are still seeking viable leads that could result in the safe return of the art.
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The Boston Mafia is suspected of the theft
In the early hours of March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, making it the biggest art heist in the world. The stolen pieces included several Rembrandt paintings, including the artist's only seascape, Vermeer's "The Concert," Manet's "Chez Tortoni," and five Degas sketches, among other works. The pieces have never been recovered, and the case remains unsolved. The museum is still offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen art.
The Boston Mafia, which was in the midst of an internal gang war, has been a primary focus of the investigation. One theory suggests that gangster Bobby Donati organized the heist to negotiate for his caporegime's release from prison. Donati was murdered just a year after the robbery. Another theory points to a gang in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, led by Boston Mafia boss Frank Salemme, who ran their operations out of an automobile repair shop owned by criminal Carmello Merlino. Merlino's associates may have gained knowledge of the museum's weaknesses through gangster Louis Royce, who cased the museum as early as 1981 and devised plans to rob the museum. Royce shared his plans with others, and it is believed that associate Stephen Rossetti may have ordered the robbery.
Several suspects implicated in the theft have died, taking their secrets to the grave. Despite reward money and reduced or canceled prison sentences offered in exchange for information, those involved have denied any knowledge or provided leads that proved fruitless. The investigation into the Boston Mafia's potential involvement in the heist continues, with authorities hoping to recover the stolen artwork and return it to the museum.
The empty frames of the stolen paintings remain hanging in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, serving as a reminder of the missing artwork and symbolizing hope for their return. The museum was constructed under the guidance of art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner to house her personal art collection, and her will stipulated that nothing in the museum galleries should be permanently changed. The loss of the artwork, valued at $500 million, is not only a significant financial blow but also a cultural one, as many of the pieces are considered invaluable to the art world.
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The paintings may have been destroyed
On March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The case remains unsolved, and no works have been recovered. The stolen works include paintings by renowned artists such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Degas, and have been valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. While the museum, the FBI, and the US Attorney's office are still seeking leads and offering rewards for the art's recovery, it is possible that the paintings may have been destroyed.
The idea that the paintings were destroyed is a popular theory, as suggested by some individuals on a Reddit thread discussing the theft. They speculate that the paintings may have been accidentally damaged or deliberately destroyed to eliminate evidence. Conservationists have also stressed that the failure to store the stolen works under optimal conditions would likely result in further damage or their destruction.
Supporting this theory, it is known that the thieves crudely cut the paintings from their frames and stretchers, causing initial damage. Additionally, there is a possibility that the paintings were rolled up, which could have inflicted further harm. Over time, improper storage, exposure to extreme conditions, or attempts to conceal the paintings could have led to their deterioration or destruction.
Furthermore, the thieves' apparent lack of art expertise raises concerns about their ability to handle and preserve the artworks properly. The paintings may have been damaged during the theft, transportation, or hiding process due to mishandling or exposure to harmful environmental factors.
While the fate of the paintings remains unknown, the possibility of their destruction cannot be ruled out. The passage of time and the potential for accidental or deliberate destruction increases as each year passes without their recovery. The destruction of the paintings would be a devastating loss to the art world, highlighting the urgency and importance of the ongoing efforts to locate and recover these invaluable artworks.
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Frequently asked questions
No. The 13 works of art stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on March 18, 1990, have never been found.
The stolen paintings include:
- Rembrandt van Rijn's "Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and "A Lady and Gentleman in Black"
- Vermeer's "The Concert"
- Flinck's "Landscape with an Obelisk"
- Manet's "Chez Tortoni"
- Five drawings by Degas, including "Cortège Sur Une Route Aux Environs De Florence" ("Procession On A Road Near Florence")
In addition to the paintings, a bronze eagle finial that formed the decorative top of a flagpole with a silk flag from Napoleon's First Regiment of Imperial Guard was also stolen. An ancient Chinese beaker from the Shang dynasty and several other objects were also taken.
The case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. The Museum, the FBI, and the US Attorney's office are still seeking viable leads and offering rewards totaling $10 million for information leading to the recovery of the stolen artworks.
There are several theories about who was behind the heist, including:
- Gangster Bobby Donati organized the heist to negotiate for his caporegime's release from prison. Donati was murdered one year after the robbery.
- A gang in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood carried out the theft. However, the suspects deny involvement, and no evidence has been found to support this claim.
- The paintings were stolen by associates of gangster Louis Royce, who had cased the museum as early as 1981 and shared his plans with others.
