THIS IS A ROBBERY

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist is a four-part true crime documentary currently streaming on Netflix.

Writing a review or recommendation for this series is a bit challenging because I don’t want to give anything away and there are definitely surprises in store for anyone who watches. I would wager that most art enthusiasts are already aware of the fundamentals of this case, which is the robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on March 18th, 1990. It is considered the most egregious art heist in the world because not only were 13 works of art stolen, but because none of them have since been recovered. While all thirteen works could easily be considered priceless, a few standouts really make the art historians cringe when recounting the event. Rembrandt’s only seascape (Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633) and Vermeer’s The Concert (ca. 1663-1666) are the two paintings that make my stomach queasy when I think that we may never see them again.

And the truth is just that… we may never see them again.

This art heist is a debacle filled with fake cops, ignored eyewitnesses, assorted mobsters, the IRA (yes, that IRA), murders, suspicious deaths and more secrets than a Dan Brown novel.

If you decide to watch this documentary, I encourage you to leave your comments on this post as to the location of these artworks (in your best estimation) and your thoughts on whether or not these pieces will ever be recovered. Personally, I am not very optimistic.

For more info on this series, please visit…

https://www.netflix.com/title/81032570

For more info on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist, please visit…

https://www.gardnermuseum.org/organization/theft

2 thoughts on “THIS IS A ROBBERY”

  1. We need to solve & find stolen art pieces to collect the $10 million reward. I will watch everything possible the next months to find the location/s of stolen art pieces!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

The Wandering Art Historian's avatar
I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.