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Mother Goose Made Exclusively for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Written By Tuesday, May 10, 2022 Add Comment Edit
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The biggest art theft in history occurred at the Isabella Gardner Stewart Museum, in Boston, Massachusetts. On March xviii, 1990, two burglars broke into the museum and made off with xiii works of fine art, worth one-half a billion dollars. Despite a thorough investigation and several promising leads, the Gardner theft remains unsolved to this solar day. While the details of the theft have been widely publicized, many folks don't know much near the history of the museum and the incredible adult female who started it all.

Gardner established the popular art museum in Boston to agree her massive and valuable art drove. The museum is home to over seven,500 pieces of fine art, including paintings, furniture, silvery, sculptures, textiles, ceramics and 1,500 rare books. The bulk of the masterpieces came from ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy and Asia.

Let's accept a look at the events that led to Gardner's honey for art, the museum's beginnings and the largest art heist in history.

Stewart Gardner's Global Upbringing

Stewart Gardner was born in New York Metropolis on April 14, 1840. Her father, David Stewart, made a living by importing Irish linen. Growing upwards, she lived in University Place in Manhattan.

When she turned 16, Gardner moved to Paris with her family unit and completed her didactics abroad, assuasive her to learn firsthand about Renaissance art. In 1858, the family moved back to New York. Shortly after, Gardner went to Boston to visit a former Paris classmate, Julia Gardner. Gardner introduced Stewart Gardner to her blood brother, John "Jack" Lowell Gardner Jr.

Stewart Gardner'south Marriage and Family Life

Jack Gardner was in the cyberbanking business and a fellow member of Boston's upper course. 2 years afterward Stewart Gardner met Jack Gardner in Boston, the two decided to tie the knot.

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On April 10, 1860, Stewart Gardner and Jack Gardner married at Grace Church in New York Urban center. Stewart Gardner's father gifted the newlyweds a business firm at 152 Beacon Street in Boston. The Gardners started a life together in their new Boston home, which was located on the Back Bay's richest street. Shortly after, the Gardner's had a son, John Lowell Gardner Three, built-in June 18, 1863. The new parents nicknamed their son "Jackie."

Stewart Gardner's Travel to Heal A Broken Heart

In the mid-1860s, a series of unfortunate events struck Stewart Gardner's life. Her son, Jackie, died from pneumonia at less than 2 years old in 1865. A twelvemonth later, Stewart Gardner suffered a near-fatal miscarriage and constitute out she was unable to have more children. Around the same fourth dimension, her sister-in-law and close friend, Julia Gardner, passed away.

The terrible news left Isabella Stewart Gardner heartbroken and depressed. On the advice of her doctor, in 1876, the Gardners traveled to Paris, Scandinavia and Russia for a year. During the trip, Stewart Gardner's health improved and she created scrapbooks of her adventures.

A Passion For Collecting Art Emerges

Stewart Gardner's trip to Europe and Russian federation made her eager to run across the rest of the earth. In 1874, the Gardners traveled to the Middle Due east, Europe and Paris. The couple explored America, Europe and Asia in the late 1880s. During their adventures abroad, the couple gained an even greater knowledge of the arts and civilisation.

The Gardners started collecting art in Europe. When Stewart Gardner inherited $1.75 million from her male parent, she focused on growing her collection of European fine fine art. "The Concert" past Johannes Vermeer was one of her kickoff purchases. From Egypt to the Far East, the Gardners collected paintings and statues from around the world in the late 1890s. The Gardners likewise began obtaining tapestries, photographs, silverish and manuscripts during their travels. Venice, Italy, became her favorite city to visit because artists frequently visited the Palazzo Barbaro, where the Gardners stayed. She became a regular at the palazzo, spending time with the artists and purchasing art.

She Asked Male Assembly to Purchase Art on Her Behalf

Stewart Gardner became known for her massive art collection, but many people didn't know that her male friends helped her acquire some of her pieces. Art historian Bernard Berenson assisted her in acquiring almost lxx pieces alone. In the 1890s, nearly art collectors were men; information technology was rare for women to collect art.

Art curator Christina Nielsen explained the auction procedure to WBUR, saying, "She has a man bid on her behalf. She sits in the back of the room, and she's got a handkerchief over her confront. Her main competitors were the National Gallery in London and the Louvre that 24-hour interval. And they realized they were bidding against each other — so they did a sort of gentlemanly bowing out. Meanwhile, her agent swooped in and bought the picture and suddenly Isabella Stewart Gardner was a well-known proper noun in the art earth overnight."

Isabella Built the Museum After Her Hubby's Death

By 1896, the Gardners discovered their enormous art collection barely fit in their Boston home. The couple dreamed of building a museum where they could continue their giant drove. However, Jack Gardner suddenly died of a stroke in 1898.

After her married man'south death, Stewart Gardner worked hard to make their dream come truthful. She bought a piece of land in the Fens of England and hired architect Willard T. Sears to describe up museum models inspired by Venice'south Renaissance architecture. While Sears was in charge of amalgam the museum, Stewart Gardner dictated the museum's design. When construction of the museum was completed in 1901, Gardner moved into the living quarters on the fourth floor and installed her collection throughout the museum portion of the building.

The Museum'south Artwork Was Deliberately Arranged to Build a Narrative

For a yr, Gardner carefully installed each of the items on the start 3 floors of the museum. Every piece was purposely assembled in unlike rooms to create a story. Gardner wanted to inspire others to fall in love with the fine art, rather than only acquire about the fine art'south history. Some pieces didn't even provide data near the painter or date of origin.

Gardner placed Titian'south masterpiece "The Rape of Europa" in the Titian Room. The Titian masterpiece sits above a small piece of Stewart Gardner'southward pale green silk gown designed past Charles Frederick Worth. In the Dutch Room, Gardner organized famous works by European artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein.

The Museum'due south Other Items

Not just did the museum feature famous paintings, but it also presented rare books, manuscripts, furniture, tapestries, sculptures and decorative art pieces from the Gardner'southward travels. Many rooms displayed a mixture of these different pieces from diverse cultures and periods.

The Early Italian Room highlights Italian Gothic and Renaissance art. These paintings are surrounded by furniture and other decorative articles from different periods and cultures across Europe, Egypt, the Middle East and Asia. The Dutch Room includes Italian, Dutch and English pieces such as an Italian nightstand, a Dutch sugar bowl and a Dutch common salt cellar.

Artists Spent Fourth dimension at the Museum

The grand opening of the museum was Jan. 1, 1903. Guests indulged in champagne and donuts while members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed. Scholar Charles Eliot Norton, philosopher William James, and symphony founder Henry Higginson attended the improvident celebration. On Feb. 23, 1903, she welcomed the public into the museum.

Stewart Gardner besides encouraged many artists, performers and scholars to visit the museum, such as John Vocalizer Sargent, Charles Martin Loeffler and Ruth St. Denis. Sargent used the museum's Gothic Room equally a painting studio, while Loeffler posed as his model. Denis danced in the Cloisters, performing her signature slice, The Cobra. Stewart Gardner wanted the artists to discover inspiration from her beautiful collection and the museum's Venetian designs.

Continuing Her Legacy

Stewart Gardner continued to grow her art collection and personally installed the pieces in the museum for the remainder of her life. She passed abroad July 17, 1924, after suffering a serial of strokes. Although Stewart Gardner was no longer living, she still dictated the museum's time to come.

According to her will, the museum must remain open up "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever." It also specifies that nothing in the museum can exist sold, relocated or removed. The museum was to be maintained the way she left it, significant new pieces weren't allowed either. The collection remained untouched until March 18, 1990 — afterward 13 pieces valued at $500 1000000 were stolen.

Suspects Arrived in Faux Police Uniforms

Equally Bostonians historic St. Patrick'due south Twenty-four hour period during the early hours of March eighteen, 1990, 2 thieves sat inside a ruby-red Dodge Daytona on Palace Road near the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The 2 men were disguised as police officers and one of them had on a fake wax mustache.

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For most an hour, the two criminals waited in their auto to avert the St. Patrick'due south Day political party goers. As the oversupply dispersed, the two thieves began their elaborate plan. They exited their vehicle, walked to the archway of the museum and pressed the buzzer nearly the door at ane:24 a.yard.

A Museum Security Baby-sit Let the Thieves In

The museum had two security guards on duty that night. After the offset guard, Richard Abath, patrolled the museum, he came back to the front desk to change positions with the other guard. Abath heard the buzzer and saw two men outside. They told Abath they were police officers who had heard a commotion in the museum's courtyard, and asked to enter the edifice.

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Although Abath knew that guards weren't immune to open the door to uninvited guests, he wasn't sure if the protocol also applied to police officers. Abath believed the men considering of their uniforms. While the other guard patrolled the galleries, Abath immune the disguised men to enter.

Handcuffed and Tied

The thieves walked to the front desk, where Abath was stationed. One of the intruders told Abath his face seemed familiar and that there was a warrant for his arrest. Abath, confused, left the front desk area, where the only alert button was located. The thieves immediately forced Abath to face the wall and handcuffed him. Abath thought the arrest was a fault, simply speedily noticed the intruders didn't search him before putting him in handcuffs. He also realized one of the thieves wore a imitation mustache.

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A few minutes subsequently, Abath's partner returned to the front desk and the thieves handcuffed him, too. The thieves then revealed they came to rob the museum. The robbers took the guards to the basement, where they handcuffed them to pipes and wrapped their heads, hands, and feet with duct tape. The criminals moved on to the galleries to start their heist.

81 Minutes to Complete the Largest Theft in History

The museum's motion detectors recorded the thieves' movements. Get-go, the robbers entered the Dutch Room and approached Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait," but the local alarm went off. The thieves smashed the alarm. Later on taking the "Self-Portrait" off the wall, the two men unsuccessfully tried to remove the painting from its wooden panel. They left the painting on the floor instead.

Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

The thieves went on to cut Rembrandt's "Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and "A Lady and Admirer in Black" from the frames. Side by side, they took Vermeer's "The Concert" and Govaert Flinck's "Landscape with an Obelisk." The criminals stole a total of thirteen pieces throughout the museum including a Chinese Statuary Gu, five Degas drawings, and an eagle finial. The robbery occurred in 81 minutes. At 8:15 a.m., law arrived at the scene and constitute the guards tied upward in the basement.

The FBI Plant No Motive or Pattern

Believing that the stolen pieces would cross state lines, the FBI quickly took over the case. The FBI thought the perpetrators were office of a criminal organization from the mid-Atlantic and New England. Throughout the investigation, the FBI held hundreds of interviews including with American drug lords and former museum guards.

Photograph Courtesy: Wikimedia Eatables

In add-on, the FBI worked with many specialists, including peak private investigators, Japanese and French authorities, museum directors and art dealers. Although the FBI collected over a thousand pages of evidence, the investigation uncovered no unmarried motive or pattern. The FBI agent in charge of the Stewart Gardner case, Geoffrey J. Kelly, has mentioned that the FBI knew the identities of the criminals, merely Kelly didn't say if the suspects remained dead or alive. Kelly has provided no further annotate on the identities.

A Few Theories About the Fine art Heist Have Surfaced

One theory investigated by the FBI was that the heist was planned and carried out by the Irish Republican Army, with the goal of somewhen leveraging data to release their members from prison. A different theory suggested Boston'south top crime boss, Whitey Bulgar, organized the robbery. The FBI also had a theory that Myles J. Connor Jr. bundled the criminal offence before he became New England'southward top fine art thief.

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In 2009, the Stewart Gardner Museum's director of security, Anthony Amore, heard a strange rumor. Amore said, "I bizarre theory was from people who say Mrs. Gardner speaks to them and tells them who stole the paintings. Also, others say mythical figures take spoken to them about the thefts."

1 of the Main Suspects Was Boston Gangster Robert Donati

Boston gangster Robert "Bobby" Donati became the FBI's summit doubtable during the investigation. In 1997, Connor claimed Donati was his accomplice in organizing the Gardner robbery. Connor and Donati visited the museum together a few times before the theft. As well before the robbery, Donati went to a nightclub called The Shack, where he was seen carrying a bag of law uniforms.

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During the 1990 robbery, Connor remained in prison, but he said Donati managed the heist. In 1991, Donati was murdered. According to the New York Daily News, he may have been a victim in a gang state of war. The FBI eventually threw out Donati equally a lead doubtable.

Some other Main Doubtable Was Robert "Bobby the Melt" Gentile

Gangster Robert "Bobby the Cook" Gentile was likewise on the FBI's radar equally a possible suspect. The FBI believed he held some of the paintings from the Gardner Museum heist. In 2012, the FBI raided his home in Manchester, Connecticut, after the FBI brought drug charges against Gentile. The FBI found nada in the raid except for a list of how much each stolen slice would cost on the black market. However, Gentile said he was innocent and knew zip near the robbery.

Subsequently in 2016, the FBI filed gun charges against Gentile to force him to talk about the location of the stolen art pieces. The federal prosecutor, John H. Durham, claimed Gentile and his mob partner Robert Guarente attempted to return two stolen artworks to reduce a prison sentence for 1 of Guarente's associates. Also, Guarente's wife insisted Gentile possessed a few of the stolen paintings. Gentile'southward lawyer argued against these claims and said that Gentile didn't know anything well-nigh the heist. In 2018, Gentile was sentenced to 54 months in prison on gun charges, but yet hasn't admitted to any knowledge about the whereabouts of the paintings.

A Few Leads Included a Letter of the alphabet and a New Video

In 1994, museum director Anne Hawley received a letter of the alphabet that assured the return of the stolen pieces for $2.six million. The letter author demanded that the museum get The Boston World to print a coded message in the business section. Although the newspaper published the bulletin, the mysterious writer disappeared after learning constabulary enforcement were involved.

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On Aug. 6, 2015, the U.S. Attorney's Function released a video that was taped the night before the heist at the Gardner Museum. On the six-infinitesimal video, 2 men appear at the entrance of the museum. One man was identified as Abath, the security guard who was tied upwards during the robbery. The other man remains unknown. Regime accept asked for the public's aid to identify him in the footage. The video shows Abath buzzing the unidentified human being into the museum twice. The human stayed in the lobby for a couple of minutes, exited and left in a car.

DNA Collected at The Criminal offence Scene Went Missing

After the robbery in 1990, police collected traces of DNA from the duct tape and handcuffs that the thieves used to agree the museum'southward security guards. In 2010, the FBI wanted to retest the evidence due to recent improvements in Deoxyribonucleic acid analysis, hoping the new test would aid find the thieves. However, the evidence containing the Dna had disappeared.

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The FBI conducted a search for the offense scene evidence, simply it was nowhere to be found. Investigators don't know when the testify went missing, but anonymous sources claimed the show had been gone for over a decade. The FBI also doesn't know if the items were misplaced, stolen or tending of. The missing prove became another setback for the Stewart Gardner case, which remains unsolved to this twenty-four hour period.

A True-Crime Podcast Investigated the Unsolved Fine art Heist Mystery

In 2018, WBUR, a public radio station, collaborated with The Boston Globe to produce a 10-part podcast covering the art heist mystery. The podcast, "Last Seen," covers the robbery, the suspects, people connected to the instance and the FBI's investigation.

The team, led by WBUR members Kelly Horan and Jack Rodolico, researched the mystery for a yr. The podcast features many interviews, including one with security baby-sit Abath and his partner from the nighttime of the criminal offense. The museum'south manager of security, Amore, says, "Things like this podcast that tin can attain a large audition are important for keeping the story live in people's minds and reminding the public that we're never going to stop looking for the stolen art."

A Documentary and Book Covering the Crime Was Released

In 2005, a documentary film chosen "Stolen" by Rebecca Dreyfus featured the famous heist. The documentary follows art detective, Harold Smith, as he looks into the robbery'south investigation and the 13 seized pieces. Smith chats with gimmicky authors about Stewart Gardner's reputation every bit a famous art connoisseur and the works of Dutch painter Vermeer.

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The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum printed a pictorial book also named "Stolen" in 2018. "Stolen" provides information about the 13 stolen works of art and contains essays from key staff members including Affection and Nielsen. Museum guests frequently ask for more details on the missing pieces, which inspired the museum to produce "Stolen."

The Famous Heist Is Mentioned Throughout Pop Civilization

Many TV shows have featured the crime, including "The Black List," "The Simpsons" and "Drunkard History." In "The Blackness List," the episode "The Courier" features a criminal named Raymond Reddington looking at Rembrandt'south painting "Christ in The Storm on the Sea of Galilee."

"The Simpsons" has an episode in which Mr. Burns possesses stolen art from the Stewart Gardner Museum at Burns Estate. As a result, the law arrest Mr. Burns and throw him in prison. In "Drunk History," the episode "Boston" features two criminals struggling to steal art and doing whatsoever they tin can to complete the heist.

Some of the Stolen Paintings

Govaert Flinck'south "Mural with an Obelisk" from 1638 is i of the stolen works of art. The robbers took Flinck's painting from the museum'due south Dutch Room. Many art enthusiasts initially believed the moving picture belonged to the painter Rembrandt, merely they later learned Flinck was the owner. Dutch painter Flinck was actually a student of Rembrandt, who helped influence his piece of work.

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Flinck created "Landscape with an Obelisk" using oil on wood. The beautiful painting features a stormy twenty-four hour period, a fantasy landscape and an obelisk inspired past one that's near Amsterdam. The moving-picture show also includes a bridge and a small man on a horse.

The Painting "Chez Tortoni" Was Another Missing Piece

Another missing painting is Édouard Manet's "Chez Tortoni" from around 1875. The museum's Blue Room used to hold Manet's famous artwork. Manet was known to create paintings in cafes that resembled snapshots.

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Manet's painting illustrates a boyfriend with a mustache and a top hat sitting in the Café Tortoni de Paris. The man is holding a pencil in his manus and writing on paper. The man's eyes are positioned looking straight at the piece's viewer. Additionally, a glass of wine sits on the gentleman's table. WBUR describes the picture'southward brush strokes as broad and tactile.

"La Sortie de Pesage" and "Three Mounted Jockeys" by Degas Were Stolen

Several Edgar Degas works disappeared in the heist, including "La Sortie de Pesage" and "Three Mounted Jockeys." These ii paintings used to hang in the museum's Brusk Gallery. Degas, a French artist, was pop for drawing dancers, but in "La Sortie de Pesage" he illustrated a crowd of people, a jockey and a equus caballus using pencil and watercolor. No ane knows when Degas created "La Sortie de Pesage."

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The thieves also stole the Degas painting "Three Mounted Jockeys" from effectually 1885. Degas created the slice with black ink and oil pigments. While ane jockey sits upright on a horse, the other two jockeys are upside downward in the painting.

"Program for an Creative Soirée" One and Two Were Taken

A couple more Degas works that vanished include "Program for an Artistic Soirée" and "Program for an Artistic Soirée, Written report 2" from 1884. The criminals removed these Degas drawings from the Short Gallery's cabinets. Stewart Gardner had assembled the cabinets herself to showcase the artwork.

Photograph Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Degas sketched the drawings with charcoal on white newspaper, which features the brim and legs of a dancer. The cartoon likewise includes a woman holding an open booklet and a man in a hat and wig adjacent to a musical instrument. The second "Program for an Artistic Soiree" appears more finished than the first sketch.

"Cortège aux Surroundings de Florence" and a Few Works By Rembrandt

Yet another Degas, the sketch "Cortege aux Environs de Florence" and a few Rembrandt works were also stolen. "Cortege aux Environs de Florence" used to be displayed in the Short Gallery. Degas drew the artwork with a pencil and used a sepia wash on newspaper. The sketch illustrates a carriage with horses, a woman with a giant umbrella and iii women who may be dancing. He finished this sketch effectually 1857.

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Other missing works include Rembrandt's "A Lady And Gentleman In Black" and his virtually famous painting "Christ In The Storm On The Bounding main Of Galilee" from 1633. The criminals stole both paintings from the museum'due south Dutch Room. The thieves likewise made off with his tiny sketch titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Beau" from 1633. The sketch features Rembrandt's serious face with untidy hair. The thieves attempted to seize Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait" oil painting, merely the job was unsuccessful.

The Thieves Besides Took a Gu, a Finial and Vermeer's "The Concert"

From the museum'south Dutch Room, the criminals fabricated off with a Chinese Gu (a bronze beaker) from 12th century BC. According to WBUR, the Gu was one of the almost elegant and oldest pieces in the museum. Another particular removed from the museum was the statuary French Eagle finial from around 1813. The eagle was attached to a flagpole from Napoleon's Outset Regiment of Imperial Guard. Although the eagle is gone, the flag remains in the museum.

WBUR reports that Vermeer's "The Concert" is the rarest and about valuable of the stolen works because few of his paintings be. Vermeer'due south painting is priced at $200 million. "The Concert" features iii musicians surrounding a pianoforte and a black-and-white tiled floor.

The Museum and FBI Are All the same Looking for New Leads

Although the Gardner case nerveless some promising leads, the identities of the criminals and the whereabouts of the 13 pieces remain a mystery. To this day, empty frames of the missing paintings hang on the walls. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum hopes that the stolen pieces will one twenty-four hour period be returned. Currently, the museum is offering a $10 million reward for data that can help recover the stolen pieces.

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The FBI, the museum and the U.Southward. chaser's office go along to search for new leads. The museum encourages anyone with information to reach out to the Stewart Gardner Museum. The museum's manager says "I've spent more than a decade preparing for any scenario. I'm very ready. I'll get anywhere. I'll meet with the devil for these paintings."

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