While the whole world is talking about the Louvre heist, it’s worth saying: hold my beer. The robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is still considered the largest and boldest art theft in U.S. history. The value of the stolen works today would be around half a billion dollars.
About the Robbed Museum
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is a mansion that the owner personally transformed into a museum. In 1903, inspired by European collections, Isabella opened her residence to the public, creating one of America’s first private museums. For comparison: MoMA would open only in 1929, and The Frick Collection in 1935.
To put it simply, Isabella is like Boston’s version of Henry Frick (I wrote about The Frick Collection earlier), but on a smaller, more intimate, homelike scale, if you will.
The museum’s collection is astonishing: Vermeer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Monet, Degas, Manet — it sounds like a list from an art history textbook.
The Night Cultural Apocalypse Began
March 18, 1990, around 1:24 a.m. Two men in police uniforms approach the museum’s side entrance. They confidently tell the security guards they’re responding to a disturbance call. The guards let them in. A few minutes later, the “officers” tie the guards up — and calmly begin the heist.
Over the next 81 minutes, they remove 13 works of art from the walls. Among the stolen pieces:
- The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt — his only seascape.
- The Concert by Vermeer — one of just 34 surviving paintings by the artist.
- Works by Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, a Chinese Ming dynasty vase, ancient bronze eagle finials…
When the next shift arrived in the morning, the thieves were long gone without a trace. Only empty frames remained on the walls. By the way, they are still there — as a symbol of hope that the art will one day return home.
What Is the Loss Worth?
At the time, the damage was estimated at around $200 million. Today, that figure would exceed $500 million — but money isn’t the main point.
Some artworks are priceless: for example, Vermeer’s The Concert could be worth $200–250 million, but its uniqueness makes the price almost meaningless. These pieces cannot be sold — they are too famous and easily recognizable. So this theft became not just a crime, but the disappearance of art from the world.
An Investigation Without Answers
In over 30 years, there have been no arrests and not a single artwork recovered. Dozens of theories have emerged: the mafia, corrupt cops, private collectors… The story has turned into a legend, and the museum annually offers a reward for any information — currently $10 million.
Where to Learn More?
- Netflix documentary series: This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist — a classic detective story that turns into a web of mafia ties, false leads, and secrets.
📍 Museum address: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115
