Last month in the city of Boston the museum of US arts patron Isabella Stewart-Gardner solemnly marked the 25th anniversary of the theft of 13 artworks that were part of its collection. On March 18, 1990 two thieves, disguised as policemen, were able to enter the museum and steal 13 pieces in 81 minutes. While the museum chose not to talk about the theft for many years, it nonetheless inaugurated a virtual guided visit through the galleries where the stolen pieces used to be displayed that also offers high resolution images and complementary archival documents. Some of the works stolen are: The Concert (1664) by Vermeer, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633) by Rembrandt, and Chez Tortoni (1878-1880) by Édouard Manet, among other emblematic works. In an interview for The Art Newspaper (April, 2015) Anne Hawley, director of the Museum, said that "These works are an irreplaceable part of our cultural heritage, and we want to keep them present in the minds of the public." More information about the virtual guided visit is available at:
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/resources/theft/