Stolen Art Watch, Reviewing the $5 million Reward Offered By the Gardner Museum

Stolen Artwork & Reward for Information

In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, thieves dressed as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole 13 works of art.

Anne Hawley, director of the Gardner Museum says, “These rare and important treasures of art need to be returned to the Gardner Museum so that they can be enjoyed again by the public. While people often talk about the monetary value of art, the value of these objects goes far beyond dollars and cents. These masterpieces have the power to inspire thinking and creativity, two processes essential to a civil society. Isabella Stewart Gardner, this museum’s founder, understood that when she left them ‘for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.’”

A reward of $5 million is offered for information leading to the return of the works of art in good condition. Please contact the museum’s Director of Security Anthony Amore, at 617 278 5114, theft@isgm.org, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 617 742 5533.

17th Anniversary of the Theft – Press Statement

17th Anniversary of the Theft – Press Statement

Art Hostage comments:

It is with a heavy heart I have reviewed the Gardner Case and this heartfelt plea and sincere offer by the Gardner Museum above.

However, there has been no progress in the investigation, so with that in mind Art Hostage has come up with a plan that will move the investigation forward and break the impasse.

Time to renew and reinvigorate the Honourable offer made by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston.

(1) Double reward to $10 million, for the return of the artworks in good condition, biggest reward in history.

(2) $100,000 reward offered to anyone giving confirmed "proof of Life"

By, not only doubling the reward to $10 million, the biggest reward in history, but also offering $100,000 reward for anyone giving "Proof of Life" the Gardner Museum can reiterate its genuine sincerity in achieving the safe return of its stolen, violated, iconic art.

Publicized like the lottery, if you get all the numbers/Stolen Gardner paintings returned, you get $10 million, if you only get some numbers/Proof of Life, you get $100,000.

I am certain, from the soundings I have taken, that a public offer of this nature will be viewed positively by those who control the Stolen Gardner art, Vermeer and Rembrandt's Storm on the Sea of Galilee in particular.

The complicated process of finally recovering the stolen Gardner Art must start with an act of true sincerity and good faith.

The only player in the whole Gardner Art Heist targedy, who come out totally clean and above any criticism is the Gardner Museum itself.

They have acted in all sincerity since the theft and find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

They will be condemned from one side if they go out in a "Belle Gardner" fashion and bulldoze their way to recovering their stolen art, disregarding law enforcement and acting independently.

On the other hand, if the Gardner Museum sticks to the Law Enforcement line they run the risk of detaching themselves from the vital lead that will prove crucial in recovering the stolen art.

Walking this tightrope has proved difficult so this new initiative should keep everyone happy.

Setting the achievable goal of obtaining "Proof of life" and paying a reward of $100,00 for this, must be something to consider if a new invigorated approach is to be taken with regards trying to achieve, what sometimes seems like "Mission Impossible" that is the return of the stolen art from Boston.

If anyone has ideas on how to move the Gardner Art Heist investigation forward I would be glad to hear them.