Boston museum marks 25 years since historic art heist

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Image by Charles Hoffman / CC BY-SA 2.0

It remains one of the art world’s biggest unsolved crimes. The theft of 13 art works – including works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Degas – from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum happened 25 years ago on Wednesday and despite over two decades of investigation by the FBI, the works remain missing. Officials say the artworks could be worth as much as half a billion dollars, and art lovers and museum officials alike remain hopeful the works will be returned at some point. The museum is launching a virtual tour entitled ‘Thirteen Works: Explore the Gardner’s Stolen Art’ on its website, which includes archival images and the background to the works. There will also be a lecture held by the museum’s security chief on 26 March entitled ‘81 minutes’, in reference to the time it took the thieves to make off with their priceless loot. Read more: denverpost.com