The obsession with art heists: What makes them so culturally renowned?

Let’s set the scene. You’re in a museum and surrounded by paintings: a Degas on the left, a Monet a few steps ahead. Portrait after portrait, room after room, you’re standing in the presence of so many great artists. But your visit and leisurely wander is interrupted. Your line of vision traces the room, following the paintings, and expecting another masterpiece, but instead you’re presented with an emptiness where a painting would have been hung. The painting has been stolen. Maybe removed for the museum’s own purposes, but the idea of it being a brazen art heist adds to the spectacle. In a sense, a lot of museums are like time capsules, and so the removal of such culturally recognised paintings disrupts the purpose that these institutions serve.

Public interest in criminal behaviour has always been around, however this phenomenon has been highly circulated in the artistic world for centuries, especially regarding art heists

It is a spectacle and a statement, much like Luigi Mangione’s actions, which has swept the internet into sparking conversations about his charged murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. As the public receives more information regarding the motives and execution of the crime, Gen-Z has delved into their own discourse on social media, elevating Mangione’s status from criminal to a romanticised hero.

This raises questions on how the public perceives criminal activity. From extreme offences like murder, to lesser, but still serious crimes of art theft, why is it so fascinating, and what makes it culturally renowned?

Public interest in criminal behaviour has always been around, however this phenomenon has been highly circulated in the artistic world for centuries, especially regarding art heists. There is a sensationalist aspect that draws the public in: culturally renowned pieces kept in such secure locations suddenly being stolen or mysteriously lost. It is also the sheer boldness and audacity of these criminals to even attempt to steal such priceless paintings that make it such a phenomenon. For instance, curators consider the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa to be the reason why the painting is so famous today.

It turned out that selling the Mona Lisa did in fact gather global attention, which not only heightened the phenomena of the heist, but the recognition of the painting too

Vincenzo Peruggia was an Italian man behind this heist, arguably the most impressive art heist in history. Being a trusted employee at the Louvre in Paris, Peruggia was aided in his ability to surreptitiously slip the Mona Lisa under his shirt, and leave the museum unnoticed. Between 1911 and 1913, the painting was hidden in multiple locations across France, from inside Peruggia’s cupboard, to an unassuming trunk. It could not even be sold because its absence from the Louvre had drawn international attention, leading Peruggia to hide the Mona Lisa in these obscure places. The painting finally made its way abroad when Peruggia attempted to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, but was arrested before he could even begin the clandestine negotiations. It turned out that selling the Mona Lisa did in fact gather global attention, which not only heightened the phenomena of the heist, but the recognition of the painting too. Peruggia did not anticipate this.

The Mona Lisa, in 1913, was now regarded not only as a Da Vinci masterpiece, but also the piece that dared be taken away from the supposedly secure walls of the Louvre. Even though he was imprisoned and served seven months, the Italian press portrayed Peruggia in a favourable light, revering him as a national hero, much like the social media surrounding Mangione. Peruggia was depicted in such a positive manner as the motive behind his heist was to return the Mona Lisa back to Italy, honouring Da Vinci’s origins and gaining acclaim for his morals.

While repatriation of artwork does involve public interest and certainly criticism, it differs from art heists as it is not shrouded in a sense of mystery that makes it a phenomena

Cultural repatriation is not something new, after all, it provoked one of the most famous art heists of the past century. It is also very topical today, especially with the British Museum and its acquisition of the ‘Parthenon Sculptures’, more popularly known as the Elgin Marbles after Lord Elgin who sold them to the museum, as well as the Benin Bronzes.

The methods in which artwork is acquired is something Western institutions are actively aware of. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum of Art made a statement acknowledging the artwork that was obtained through Nazi looting and decided for these pieces, including a Monet, should be returned to its ‘rightful’ owners, or sold on reasonable terms. This has been ongoing for the past twenty years. While repatriation of artwork does involve public interest and certainly criticism, it differs from art heists as it is not shrouded in a sense of mystery that makes it a phenomena. Cultural repatriation does not capture the public’s imagination in the same way that art heists do.

The phenomena of art heists creates mystery and thrill

The phenomena of art heists creates mystery and thrill; the public almost admire the crime because of how high the stakes are. Ordinary citizens are drawn into the discourse, heightening the sensationalist aspect of the heist. The heist of the Mona Lisa in 1911 managed to bind these two elements of repatriation and criminal sensationalism, and these sentiments still endure a century later. It serves as just one instance of how culturally renowned art heists are, and is imprinted in public consciousness. Art heists have the power to inadvertently elevate the status and recognition of these stolen pieces to new levels, creating new narratives.

The brazen removal of paintings not only adds spectacle to theft, but captivates public attention and their imagination at the audacious crime. After all, who would not be fascinated by the theft of a famous painting from such a highly secure gallery?