If you know the whereabouts of the artworks stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston back in 1990, you have until December 31 to let the museum know.

According to CNN, 13 artworks valued at between $300-500 million (R3,8-6,3 billion) “were lifted from the museum during an 81-minute window in the night after the St. Patrick’s Day revels”.

Now, in what is considered the last chapter of the biggest art theft in peacetime history, the museum’s final offer is a cool $10 million (R127 million) reward.

The pieces the criminals got away with are some world’s most famous works, including:

Rembrandt’s “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee”

Manet’s “Chez Tortoni”

Vermeer’s “The Concert”

I could stare at those all day.

According to the museum’s website, this is what went down on that fateful night:

In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, a pair of thieves disguised as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and roamed the Museum’s galleries, stealing thirteen works of art.

They gained entry into the Museum by posing as Boston police officers and stating that they were responding to a call. The guard on duty broke protocol and allowed them entry through the Museum’s security door.

Once inside, the thieves asked that the guard come around from behind the desk, claiming that they recognized [sic] him and that there was a warrant out for his arrest. The guard walked away from the desk and away from the only alarm button. The guard was told to summon the other guard on duty to the security desk, which he did. The thieves then handcuffed both guards and took them into the basement where they were secured to pipes and their hands, feet, and heads duct taped. The two guards were placed 40 yards away from each other in the basement.

The next morning, the security guard arriving to relieve the two night guards discovered that the Museum had been robbed and notified the police and director Anne Hawley.

While the Gardner hoard is the Holy Grail for art detectives, the general consensus is that those who know where the art is hidden are dead.

The reward has been set to trigger public interest in the hopes of someone, somewhere, bringing forward a lead that could perhaps assist the museum in locating the stash.

Until then, it will remain one of the biggest mysteries in the art world.

[source:cnn]