If you are wondering how 81 minutes can make history, you have come to the right place. The most significant art heist in history, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery, is still making the rounds across the world. Art pieces worth 500 million dollars were stolen by a couple of men in the guise of police officers. This article will outline the events of the night of March 18th, 1990, which left a significant mark on art history.
The Details
In the early hours of Sunday, March 18th, the robbery was seen by several revelers nearby. The disguise of the robbers played a significant role in preventing suspicion and detection as they parked in a hatchback and entered the museum through the side entrance. The robbers succeeded in overpowering the night security guards on the watch that night. They executed the plan while the guards remained bound with duct tape in the basement.
The duty of the night security guards was separated into two tasks which included patrolling the halls and monitoring through the security desk. When the robbers rolled up, they asked to be biased because they investigated a complaint. Because it was St. Patrick's day, there was a good chance that someone had trespassed, so the men in uniforms were allowed to step in through the side door. The guards were then overpowered in fewer than 15 minutes.
The Robbery
After the security guards were subdued, the thieves spent their time going from room to room. Their movements were detected on infrared motion detectors. The robbers proceeded to smash the radars that allotted security when someone stepped too close to a painting. They hit the portraits on the ground to break the glass. The removal of the pictures was done by cutting alongside the frame and taking the painted canvas with them.
They managed to take The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, a stamp-sized self-portrait etching of Rembrandt, Landscape with Obelisk, Chez Tortoni, The Concert, and A Lady and Gentleman in Black. An oil painting of a self-portrait of Rembrandt was also removed from its place but was left behind. It was probably rejected because it was painted on wood, not a fragile canvas.
They tried to steal the Napoleon flag but gave up when they could not unscrew it entirely. They managed to take the eagle finial atop it. They took five portraits from Degas too. They managed to take the artworks out of the side entrance without any difficulty because they did not meet with any resistance.
They tried to steal the Napoleon flag but gave up when they could not unscrew it entirely. They managed to take the eagle finial atop it. They took five portraits from Degas too. They managed to take the artworks out of the side entrance without any difficulty because they did not meet with any resistance.
After the Robbery
The thieves asked the guards if they were comfortable and then removed proof of their identity from the security tapes. The infrared movements were left untouched. There were some suspects following the robbery, but nothing came to any definitive conclusion. A letter went to the museum with apparent interest to negotiate the return of artworks.
Eventually, they never contacted the museum again because they suspected it was a scheme to uncover the negotiator who claimed no hand in the robbery. The museum still has a reward offer to anyone who comes forward with relevant information about the robber, but there have been few headways so far.
The Takeaway
Because of its valuation at $200 million, the art heist remains the most significant loss to the art world. The lack of security tapes led to further problems with the investigation. Even though the thieves left behind the most expensive artwork in the museum, it still amounted to the loss of 14 precious pieces.
