Fun Fact Friday: Cultured Crooks?

Cultured Crooks: A True Mystery at the Museum

Short on cash? Looking to make a quick buck? How does 10 million of them sound? Yep, you read that right:

$10 MILLION 

Probably sounds like some gimmicky sweepstakes, right? Actually, it's a legitimate offer, provided you have some valuable information to share.

In the wee hours in the morning of March 18, 1990, guards at the Isabel Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston opened the doors for two men dressed as police officers. Once inside, the imposters tied up the guards and set to work, cutting eleven paintings from their frames and grabbing two sculptures before making their escape.  The entire job took a little over an hour. These men took off with $500 million worth of artwork. 

The craziest part? 

THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT...

Neither they nor the valuable pieces of art they stole (pictured below) have been seen since. 







To this day, empty frames hang on the walls of the Gardener Museum, waiting for their paintings to be returned.  If you can provide information that leads to the pilfered artwork, you could be eligible for a $10 million reward. 


Do any of the above pieces look familiar?  Do you remember a relative, friend, or neighbor myseteriously obtaining a fancy-looking painting (or eleven) in the '90s? 

Contact:

Anthony Amore

Director of Security

617 278 5114

theft@gardnermuseum.org


and feel free to rat them out. You could be looking at a seriously sweet payday.

Enjoy your weekend, friends!




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