Art Thefts: Solved and Unsolved

Art Thefts: Solved and Unsolved

Art Thefts: Solved and Unsolved

You would think that an art theft would most often result in either the thieves getting caught or at the very least the paintings being recovered. In high profile cases, the works of art are difficult to keep hidden. They are, after all, masterpieces that will be recognised by any reputable art dealer. In most cases, that is exactly what happens, but believe it or not the single largest art theft in history is still unsolved and the thirteen pieces stolen have never been recovered. Unsolved: Isabella Steward Gardner Museum heist The St. Patrick's Day heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 remains to this day the greatest unsolved art theft ever. Dressed as police officers on a day when the City of Boston was closed for a parade, two men entered the museum, tied up the guards, and got away with thirteen masterpieces from a list of artists that included Rembrandt, Vermeer, Manet and Degas. The estimated value total value of the pieces stolen was over 350 million (or $500 million USD). None of the art has been recovered and the men who perpetrated the theft have never been caught. Unsolved: Nazi art thefts during World War II How can this be possible? Priceless works of art by legendary masters can't just disappear off the face of the planet, right? There have been a number of theories about it over the two decades since the Gardner Heist, ranging from accusations of art insurance fraud by the museum to claims of Irish mob involvement. The truth may never be known, and it's not the only case involving lost artwork on this list. During World War II, the Nazi regime pillaged hundreds of private homes and museums for artwork. One hundred thousand pieces of that artwork is still missing. Solved: Stolen art collection of Stephane Breitwieser The Gardner theft was the single largest by a private party and the Nazi rampage through Europe the largest art theft by a country, but the largest collection of stolen art work belonged to one individual, Stephane Breitwieser. Stephane put together a collection of 238 stolen pieces of art that together were worth over $1 Billion. He was caught and most of them were returned, but sadly sixty of those pieces were destroyed by his mother in an attempt to cover for him. Partly Solved: Emile Bhrle Foundation theft Next on the list is the February 2008 robbery at the Emile Bhrle Foundation in Zurich, where thieves got away with a Monet, a Degas, a Van Gogh and a Czanne. The Van Gogh and the Monet were recovered. The others are still missing. Solved: So Paulo Museum of Art theft In 2007, there was a robbery at the So Paulo Museum of Art. A massive $55 million worth of paintings were stolen in that theft. Luckily, all were recovered within a month after the theft.

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