Gardner Art Heist: 35 years later, museum prepares to restore empty frames

It’s been over three decades since Boston’s infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist.

Two men stole 13 works of art—none of which have been recovered. According to the museum’s website, the pair got away with works from Degas, Rembrandt, Manet, and more.

Despite a groundbreaking ten-million-dollar reward, the mystery remains unsolved.

Now – 35 years later – CBS Boston reports that the museum is embarking on a million-dollar restoration of the Dutch room, the gallery where much of the artwork was stolen.

“We really do operate in this realm of hope that the paintings will be recovered,” Gardner Security Director Anthony Amore told CBS Boston.

“When our paintings do come home, they’re coming home to the best possible setting, the ways in which Isabella intended them to be shown,” Gardner Museum Collection Curator Diane Seave Greenwald told the station.

In the Dutch Room, wall fabric is being replaced, the ornate wooden ceiling, the custom tile floor will soon be cleaned and restored, along with the empty frames.

There’s even a plan for the artwork—if it’s ever recovered.

“We always try to err on the side of being prepared and ready for that return,” Gardner Museum Conservation Director Holly Salmon said.