The Herald Tries to Sniff Out Some Art

Bostonist’s heart trembled over the Boston Herald’s cover today. According to an anonymous source, the FBI may have a solid lead on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s stolen paintings. They seem to think the French have something to do with it. The FBI wants to get their hands on former Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier, who may have acquired one of the stolen works for his personal collection. Bostonist wishes we could get Condi Rice and Vivendi-Universal’s Monk together on this one. They could crack it in no time.

The theft happened 15 years ago this March, when two men (dressed as Boston Police) took 13 works of art, including Boston’s only Vermeer, and a rare Rembrandt seascape. The empty frames remain on the walls, exactly where the museum’s creator, Isabella Stewart Gardner, placed them and instructed they remain permanently. Even though pieces are forbidden from being added to or removed from the collection, the museum still holds exhibitions and employs artists-in-residence. The Gardner is also in the midst of an expansion plan, like just about every other local museum- the MFA, the Peabody Essex, the ICA, and, most recently, the Fogg.