From Da Vinci to Rembrandt: The 5 Most Famous Museum Robberies in History

2025-10-19 21:11:00, Kuriozitete CNA

A robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris made headlines around the world. But this is not the first daring robbery inside a museum.

Here are just a few high-profile art thefts that have occurred throughout history:

'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo Da Vinci, Louvre Museum, 1911

Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is undoubtedly one of the most famous works of art in the world and the most popular attraction at the Louvre Museum today. In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee, hid inside the museum and emerged with the painting under his coat. It was found two years later in Florence, after Peruggia tried to sell the painting, an episode that helped make Leonardo da Vinci's portrait the most famous work of art in the world.

'Jacob de Gheyn III' by Rembrandt, Dulwich Picture Gallery, 1966, 1973, 1981 and 1983

In one of the most bizarre cases of art theft, Rembrandt's "Jacob de Gheyn III" has become one of the most stolen major paintings in modern history, according to the Guinness Book of Records. It has been nicknamed "the stolen Rembrandt" after being stolen four times, in 1966, 1973, 1981 and 1983.

From Da Vinci to Rembrandt: The 5 Most Famous Museum Robberies in History

Theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, 1990

In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men disguised as Boston police officers forced their way into the museum, claiming to be responding to a call. They overpowered two security guards, bound them with duct tape, and spent 81 minutes stealing 13 works of art, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and Manet. It has been called the largest art theft in U.S. history, and 35 years later, the theft of the 13 works remains unsolved.

Theft at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 1991 and 2002

Two paintings were stolen from Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum in 2002. After being missing for 14 years, they were found and returned to the museum in 2016. The thieves used a ladder and hammers to force their way into the museum. The paintings were found by Italian police and recovered by the Naples mafia.

From Da Vinci to Rembrandt: The 5 Most Famous Museum Robberies in History

18th Century Jewels, Dresden Green Vault, 2019

In 2019, thieves broke into the display cases at Dresden's Green Vault, one of the world's oldest museums, and stole hundreds of millions of euros worth of diamond-studded royal jewels. Officials said they made off with three sets of 18th-century jewelry that would have been impossible to sell on the open market. Part of the haul was later recovered. Five men were convicted and a sixth was acquitted. /CNA