Today In History March 18th

On March 18th, 1990, two men posing as police officers pulled off one of the most audacious art heists in history. In the early hours of the morning, the thieves entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, and made off with 13 priceless works of art, including pieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Manet.

The heist, which is still unsolved to this day, remains one of the most infamous in the art world. The stolen works have an estimated value of over $500 million, making it the largest art theft in history.

The two men spent a total of 81 minutes inside the museum, meticulously selecting their targets and cutting the paintings from their frames. Despite the security cameras capturing the entire event, the thieves managed to evade detection and escape without a trace.

The stolen art has never been recovered, and the identities of the thieves remain unknown. The FBI has conducted numerous investigations and received countless tips over the years, but the case remains unsolved.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum continues to display empty frames where the stolen paintings once hung, serving as a haunting reminder of the brazen theft that took place on that fateful day in 1990. The heist serves as a cautionary tale for museums around the world, reminding them of the importance of robust security measures to protect their priceless treasures.

Sources:
Britannica.com
Images found through Google