Art Heists: Captivating Reading
This week marks the 23rd anniversary of one of the worlds largest and most famous unsolved art heists. In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men, dressed as policemen, bluffed their way into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The thieves tied up two security guards with duct tape and made off with 13 of the museum’s masterpieces. The stolen pieces included two Rembrandts, five Degas drawings, as well as a Vermeer and a Manet. The value on today’s market is $500 million and there is a $5 million reward offered for return of the art.
The FBI announced this week they have identified the thieves and are requesting the public’s assistance in finding the masterpieces. Interestingly, the statute of limitations has expired and the thieves will not be prosecuted for this crime–though they still can be prosecuted if they possess the art (which is considered doubtful.) The two men are not named, but the FBI did identify them as members of an organized crime group on the East coast. The movie-like mystery thickens…
Coincidentally, I had been reading The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser and another book, Stealing Rembrandts by Anthony Amore this week. Both provide captivating reading. Stealing Rembrandts highlights many art heists and delves into the motives and methods of many famous art heists (solved and unsolved.) So if you’re looking for a new book with a current events twist, I highly recommend both books…
Lori, you just get more interesting the longer I know you! Thanks for the recommendation! – Erin
Ditto what Erin Said! Thanks for the book recommendations! Interesting stories!
I knew you were interesting when we became friends 22 years ago!!!
Wow, I had no idea those thieves had gotten away with it!
It’s just like a movie! I wonder if any of the art will ever be recovered!
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Isn’t it interesting that the statute of limitation can prevent a thief from being prosecuted? Wonder how that came about?
It seems unreasonable. The thieves could write a book about it if they wanted…no prosecution!
Interesting! My husband and I recently went to Holland/ Belgium and toured the the Van Gogh museum in his small home town. It was a great museum of his life and works but we were surprised to learn that there were no origional works of his in his hometown due to the cost of security. Never considered that aspect of it.
Wow! That is interesting!
Thank you for the recommendation of the “Gardener Heist”. I have been looking for a “Good Book” for about a month. Downloaded the sample this am and bought the e-book about an hour ago.