The provided text argues that the 1990 theft of 13 artworks from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was an inside job, likely orchestrated for insurance fraud, and that various documentaries about the event are CIA-driven misdirection. The author, Miles Mathis, a realist artist, claims to have solved the mystery through internet research and his own artistic eye.
Mathis points to several key indicators:
- Financial Distress: The museum was in severe financial trouble in the 1980s, struggling with its endowment and upkeep, making insurance fraud a logical solution, especially given a clause in Gardner’s will that prevented selling assets.
- Inconsistent Security: The museum allegedly refused security upgrades and had inadequate internal surveillance, as if “begging for a robbery.”
- Suspicious Details of the Theft: The narrative of the heist, including the thieves being admitted by guards dressed as police without any prior alarm, and the simultaneous disabling of motion detectors, is deemed implausible.
- What Was Taken vs. Left Behind: The author contends that the most valuable items taken, including a Vermeer and Rembrandts, were likely fakes, particularly noting a Rembrandt that had been recently disattributed by the Rembrandt Research Project. Conversely, significant works by artists like Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, and Michelangelo were left untouched.
- Dubious Documentaries: Mathis criticizes documentaries like “Stolen” (2005), CourtTV, BBC’s “The Billion-Dollar Art Hunt” (2020), and Netflix’s 2021 miniseries, alleging they are CIA fronts designed to perpetuate false narratives, such as the involvement of the IRA or various mafia groups, and to misdirect from the true perpetrators. He specifically targets Rebecca Dreyfus and Ludwig as producers and Anne Hawley, the museum director at the time, for her perceived lack of understanding of art.
- Questionable Individuals: Mathis scrutinizes individuals involved in the case and the documentaries, including museum director Anne Hawley, Arnold Hiatt (a board member with Harvard ties), security guard Rick Abath (whom he suggests was an actor with links to the DuPont family and CIA operations in Wilmington, DE), and Mary Abath Sosnowski (Rick’s sister, possibly the second “officer”). He also critiques reporters like Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe and Steve Kurkjian.
- Symbolism: Mathis interprets symbols, such as the Phoenix on the museum’s badge, as further clues to an inside job and the involvement of specific groups. He also dismisses the notion of mob involvement, linking alleged mob activities to government control and “Phoenician Navy” operations.
- Convenient Disappearances and Deaths: He points out that key figures involved in alleged criminal activities are often conveniently dead or their files are hidden, making definitive investigation difficult.
Mathis concludes that the paintings were never found because they were likely never truly stolen and are probably still in existence, with the “heist” serving as a cover for insurance fraud and a means to maintain the inflated value of the collection. He also believes the extensive media coverage is part of a deliberate effort to obscure the truth.