More than three decades ago, two thieves slipped out of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with 13 priceless works of art—treasures now valued at roughly half a billion dollars. The FBI launched a massive investigation, and the museum’s trustees put up a $10 million reward for their safe return. Yet more than 35 years later, not a single piece has resurfaced, and no arrests have ever been made. Why not? This unsolved heist remains an immense loss to the art world and the city of Boston, and a mystery that continues to fascinate and frustrate. In two lively sessions, this mini-course will dive into the events leading up to the theft and the twists and turns of the investigation that followed. We’ll explore the history of the museum and the couple that established it, the missteps of the trustees in failing to heed warnings of a potential heist; the bold execution of the heist and the possibility of inside help; the FBI’s inability to identify the culprits or their associates; and the missed chance to enlist the people of Boston as active partners in the search. Together, we’ll unpack the world's largest—and most baffling—art crime in modern history.