Art Thefts
Can you imagine a summer read that would not include Hercule Poirot-like mystery? This blog is for all the well-iced mojito & Pina colada-sippers, freshly squeezed lemonade-induced minds, negroni lovers, or anyone in between.
Let's dive in!
This time, the crime did not happen during a cruise on the Nile but in the Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Cairo. Poppy Flowers is not a well-known painting; however, it is a classic van Gogh with its vibrant yellow flowers against an ominously dark background. A coincidence? - I think not.
An air of fascination and mystery surrounds this exquisite piece of artwork as it was stolen TWICE! The first time around, during a move between two palaces, however promptly rediscovered and reinstalled without too much fuss.
Now here is the thing. Knowing that the museum houses a great deal of fine art, including Monet, Renoir, and Degas, one would assume the security got tighter after the 1977 robbery. Wrong again!
The details of the second theft of the beautiful van Gogh painting are bewildering. Here are the facts
It happened in broad daylight in August 2010.
The suspect or suspects pushed a couch against the wall to recover the painting, and NOBODY noticed as only 7 out of 43 museum security cameras were operational.
Only ten people visited the museum that day.
Two Italian tourists were suspected. However, a month into the chase, the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, said it was most likely an insider job.
Sadly, the $50 million-dollar painting has not been found to this day despite a reward of 1 million Egyptian pounds (around £42.6 thousand British pounds), and its disappearance remains a mystery.
The haunting beauty of van Gogh's paintings attracts thieves like flies. Here are some other notorious steals of his masterpieces:
The Concert (1663 - 1666; oil on canvas) by Johannes Vermeer (1632 - 1675) is currently the most valuable missing artwork in the world, worth nearly $200 million. It was purchased in 1892 at a Paris auction by Isabella Gardner herself.
The masterpiece was taken from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on 18 March 1990, alongside paintings by Degas, Manet, and Rembrandt. Thirteen works have not been recovered yet, and their estimated worth is skyrocketing at $500 million.
The robbery was the largest heist in US history, and the museum is so desperate to get the paintings back that it keeps their frames empty and in the exact spots where they used to reside.
So what happened?
Two men dressed as Boston Police Department officers entered the museum under a false premise. Unfortunately, the museum guard let the duo in without verifying their identities, making a terrible mistake. He ended up duck-taped alongside his colleague in the museum basement, powerless. The thieves spent around an hour and twenty minutes in the museum, cut or removed the paintings from their frames, and took two trips to the car with the stolen artwork.
This art theft has it all: Italian and Irish mob, irresponsible and possibly corrupt guards not following the protocol, weak security measures all over, and thorough guidelines set by the will of Isabella Stewart Gardner herself.
So why are the empty frames still hanging on the walls? And why is the will playing such a significant role in this case?
Essentially, Isabella Stewart Gardner's will states to "shoot for a kill" if anyone attempts to steal her precious collection. Moreover, if her detailed last wish is not fulfilled, the entire collection must be sent to Paris for sale.
Update: The FBI stated that the two original suspects are now deceased (Bobby Donati, who was brutally killed in 1991, and Robert Gentile, who died after a stroke in 2021), yet the rewards of $10 million for anyone to come forward and help retrieve the art remains.
To keep you going, follow our social media for "how to wear a scarf during an art theft" posts as a homage to iconic Audrey Hepburn, and check out the following:
Former Art Thief and Detective Rate 9 Art Heists in Movies by Insider
How to Steal a Million movie with unforgettable Audrey Hepburn and charming Peter O'Toole from 1966
I hope you're all having a fabulous summer!
Until next time,
Fiona