In The Night Watch (1642), Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn depicted a city’s security force as an unfocused crew who weren’t ready for action. Perhaps Rembrandt had a sense that one day, security guards at countless art museums would fail to stop thieves from stealing his work.
Along with Spanish artist Pablo Picasso’s work, Rembrandt’s art has been among the top stolen works in history. When it comes to robbing museums, some thieves have been sophisticated with quiet snatch-and-grabs. Others have been abrupt and violent.
In some instances, stolen pieces have been recovered, repaired and put back on display. Other times, the art remained missing for decades. Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, for example, has yet to recover the 13 works (including three by Rembrandt) stolen in 1990 by two thieves dressed as police officers.
Here are four other famous art heists:
