In the wee hours of March 18th, 1990, the day of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in South Boston, two men wearing Boston police uniforms, appeared at the side door of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum stating they were responding to a disturbance. The security guards on duty were tied up in the basement and the men stole 13 valuable works of art in 81 minutes taking time to remove the art from its frames.
According to the Boston Globe, among the 13 pieces are three by Rembrandt, including his only seascape, “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee,” “A Lady and Gentleman in Black,” and a stamp-sized self-portrait; Flinck’s “Landscape with an Obelisk”; Degas sketches; “Chez Tortoni” by Manet; an ancient Chinese vase; and a bronze finial eagle from atop a Napoleonic flag.
It is believed that artwork is valued at present-day at over $600 million. Wowza!
Not one of the stolen artworks has been found. The museum still offers a $10 million reward for any information that would lead to the return of the stolen art.
The Boston Globe has a great true crime podcast about this heist called “Last Scene.” Netflix also did a documentary series called “This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist.”
Image via Boston Globe
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Whoever has the ART will probably return it upon their death.