From Da Vinci to Rembrandt, here's a look at some famous museum heists throughout history

On Sunday morning, a group of thieves allegedly stole 9 pieces of jewellery from nan postulation of Napoleon successful nan Louvre, utilizing a handbasket assistance to scope nan museum.

The daring heist astatine nan world’s astir visited depository occurred arsenic visitors were wrong nan Apollo Gallery, wherever portion of nan French crown jewels are displayed.

The theft that took spot astir half an hr aft opening, pinch visitors already inside, was among nan highest-profile depository heists successful surviving representation and comes arsenic unit complained that crowding and bladed staffing support straining France's apical museum's security.

The Louvre has a agelong history of thefts and attempted robberies. In fact, 1 of nan astir celebrated depository heists successful history took spot location successful 1911, erstwhile nan now legendary Mona Lisa vanished from its frame.

Here are conscionable a fewer high-profile creation thefts that person taken spot passim history.

'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo Da Vinci, Louvre Museum, 1911

Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is unarguably 1 of nan world's astir celebrated useful of art, and nan astir celebrated attraction successful nan Louvre today.

But earlier its theft, it was not wide known extracurricular nan creation world. In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, a erstwhile employee, hid wrong nan depository and walked retired pinch nan coating nether his coat.

After nan Louvre announced nan theft, newspapers each complete nan world ran headlines astir nan missing masterpiece.

It was recovered 2 years later successful Florence aft Peruggia tried to waste nan coating — an section that helped make da Vinci’s image nan world’s best-known artwork.

'Jacob de Gheyn III' by Rembrandt, Dulwich Picture Gallery, 1966, 1973, 1981 and 1983

In 1 of nan much bizarre cases of creation theft, Rembrandt's "Jacob de Gheyn III" has go 1 of nan astir often stolen awesome paintings successful modern history, according to nan Guinness Book of Records, nicknamed nan "takeaway Rembrandt".

It was first stolen from nan Dulwich Picture Gallery successful London successful 1966 on pinch 2 different works, past again successful 1973, 1981 and 1983. The image was recovered aft each theft and remains connected show astatine nan depository today.

The astir stolen artwork of each time, however, is nan Ghent Altarpiece, besides known arsenic "The Adoration of nan Mystic Lamb" by Jan van Eyck. It was reported stolen 7 times, plundered by Napoleon's troops successful 1794, arsenic good arsenic by nan Nazis during World War II.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist, Boston, 1990

It’s been called nan biggest creation heist successful US history, but 35 years later, nan theft of 13 useful from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum remains unsolved.

In nan early hours of 18 March 1990, 2 men disguised arsenic Boston constabulary officers talked their measurement into nan depository by saying they were responding to a call.

They overpowered 2 information guards, bound them pinch duct portion and spent much than an hr pilfering 13 useful of art, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas and Manet.

Vermeer's "The Concert", 1 of nan astir valuable stolen items, was worthy possibly arsenic overmuch arsenic half a cardinal dollars, authorities said.

Some of nan works, including Rembrandt’s “Storm connected nan Sea of Galilee,” were trim from their frames. Those frames bent quiet successful nan depository to this day.

Van Gogh Museum Heist, Amsterdam, 1991 and 2002

Two paintings were stolen by thieves who utilized a ladder and sledgehammers to break successful from Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum successful 2002.

The paintings were recovered by Italian constabulary and were recovered from nan Naples mafia. After being missing for 14 years, they were recovered and returned to nan depository successful 2016.

The Van Gogh Museum had besides been robbed conscionable a fewer years earlier successful 1991, erstwhile 20 paintings estimated to beryllium worthy complete €400 cardinal were stolen, including nan celebrated "The Potato Eaters".

They were recovered soon afterwards successful an abandoned car not acold away.

18th-century jewels, Dresden's Green Vault, 2019

In 2019, thieves smashed vitrines successful Dresden’s Green Vault, 1 of nan world’s oldest museums, and carried disconnected diamond-studded royal jewels worthy hundreds of millions of euros.

Officials said they made disconnected pinch 3 “priceless” sets of 18th-century jewellery that would beryllium intolerable to waste connected nan unfastened market.

Part of nan haul was later recovered. Five men were convicted, and a sixth was acquitted.