Stolen

In “Stolen,” the book begins with the phrase, “They came for the Rembrandts,” and details each work, the artists, and the galleries from which they were taken. The foreword by Peggy Fogelman, the Norma Jean Calderwood Director, addresses the profound and lasting loss of these stunning, irreplaceable works. “When thieves robbed the Gardner of some of its greatest masterpieces,” she writes, “they relegated these objects to the past, to memory, far from the everyday encounters that keep them vital and connect them to our lives today … Our intention for this book, with its images of the stolen art, is to help keep these masterworks present until we can celebrate their return.”

An essay by Anthony Amore, the Museum’s Security Director and Chief Investigator, titled, “81 Minutes,” describes the events and timeline that transpired during the theft. He reiterates the Museum’s commitment to the $10 million reward for any information that successfully leads to the recovery of the works of art.

Dr. Christina Nielsen, the William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection, offers her thoughts on the extraordinary artworks and their cultural and artistic significance. “Isabella Stewart Gardner’s gallery installations—the careful arrangements of decorative arts, furniture, paintings, and sculpture throughout her Museum—were, themselves, total works of art... Gardner’s original intention in placing each of her treasures just so, and our ability to be inspired by them, has been sadly interrupted.”

The book includes images and the background of each of the stolen works as well as an overview with before and afterward photos of the galleries they were taken from.