Not many will disagree that many art galleries and museums home some of the most famous paintings in the world - Vincent Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" or Salvador Dalí's "The Persistence of Memory," to name a few. Nevertheless, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston would be an exception based on what she decided not to save following the largest art theft ever.
For its part, the Museum of Cultural History in Ghent, Belgium, suffered its loss on March 18, 1990, when thirteen priceless paintings, including Rembrandt's "The Lone Runner" and Vermeer's "The Concert," were stolen during the night. During the time the two security guards were gagged with duct tape, the robbers got away with other merchandise which experts valued at over half a billion dollars.
In particular, a relatively recent episode from the 'How It Really Happened' show on CNN provides just that, as it is accompanied by an interview with an actual participant in the crime - Rick Abath, one of the guards on duty at the time of the heist. Below, are five noteworthy facets of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist as people continue stumped over the case.
1. The Eccentric Founder:
(Photo: Wikipedia / John Thomson)
Isabella Stewart Gardner, the museum was named after her, and she was a famous woman considered to be a socialite for her charity works and her propensity for eccentricity. With a predisposition towards the shocking and the politically powerful, Gardner constructed the museum to showcase her art acquisitions while encouraging education surrounding the artistic world of early twentieth-century Boston.
2. Selective Thievery:
Despite the immense value of the stolen artworks, the thieves left behind the museum's most prized possession - Titian's "The Rape of Europa." Speculations abound regarding this curious omission, with some attributing it to logistical constraints due to the painting's size.
The investigation into the heist took a surprising turn when alleged Corsican mobsters attempted to sell stolen artworks in the Mediterranean. The presence of a Napoleonic flag ornament among the stolen items fueled speculations of a historical vendetta, adding a layer of intrigue to the case.
4. The Musical Art Thief:
Myles Connor, a notorious art thief with a penchant for rock 'n' roll, emerged as a prime suspect in the Gardner heist. Known for his audacious exploits, including stealing a Rembrandt from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, Connor's colorful persona added a rockstar flair to the criminal underworld.
5. The Phantom Thief:
The care with which the robbery was conducted aroused the police suspicions and led to the speculation whether the crime was an inside job since the motion detectors were not activated and frames were stolen from specific racks. The possibility of ghost robbers or complicit insiders added a layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation.
As the hunt for the stolen artworks continues, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist remains a captivating enigma, blending artistry and intrigue in the annals of criminal history.