Art thefts that shook the world

In the American crime comedy Confess, Fletch, Jon Hamm portrays Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a prime suspect in a murder, striving to prove his innocence while simultaneously searching for his girlfriend’s father’s stolen art collection. But that’s just a movie. In real life, several priceless artworks, some safeguarded by the most exceptional security teams and devices, have gone missing. Keep reading for real-life art thefts that have captivated the world.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

In 1911 an art crime that made history was committed by a man called Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia worked at the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa painting was on display, and at closing time, he hid in a cupboard. At night, he exited his hiding place, took the masterpiece, hid it under his work clothes, and walked off. Before being stolen, the Mona Lisa was not famous, but once stolen, it became the most acclaimed painting in the world. The Mona Lisa did resurface, but only two years later. Peruggia was caught and arrested while trying to sell the masterpiece to an art dealer in Florence.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist

In 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole thirteen art pieces valued at half a billion dollars. Until today, this remains the largest unsolved art heist in the world. Empty frames still hang in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

The Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris heist  

In 2010, a masked intruder broke a padlock, smashed a window, and entered the Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. The intruder later slipped out with five artworks, including The Pigeon with Green Peas, painted by the famous Pablo Picasso. At the time, the estimated value of the stolen paintings was $123 million.

Will Fletch get lucky and find the stolen art collection? Find out in Confess, Fletch this Sunday at 20:05 CAT on M-Net 101, or catch up on DStv after the movie airs. Join the conversation on social media @mnetmovies  on Twitter, @MNet  on Facebook, @mnettv  on Instagram, and @mnet on TikTok.