The reason why art thefts became so widespread in the 1970s

Like the guard who was injured during the Worcester Art Museum robbery, security staff rarely carried weapons — and, as satirically depicted in the movie “Mastermind,” they could often be “retired” or “acid heads,” Reichardt says, with limited training. “Museums used to have these wonderful circular drives in the front, which made the escape very easy,” she adds. While the film features an FBI art crimes investigator, reminiscent of real-life agent Robert Whitman – who recovered $300m (£225m) worth of art over the course of his career – the actual FBI art crimes team was only established in 2004.

Scientific

But as Flynn notes, while museums may have been slow to appreciate the risk of theft in the past, thieves haven’t generally shown extreme acumen either. “The history of art crime and major art thefts has been one of opportunistic idiots who don’t really understand the nature of the artwork itself,” he says, referring to its potential for harm, “or indeed the art market. [Then] These people suddenly discover, to their horror, that the items they have stolen are very difficult to move.

The allure of the art thief

An archetype in fiction of the art thief as a lovable rogue also began to emerge during the 1960s and 1970s. Amid the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration, disillusionment and discontent reached high levels, especially among younger generations in the United States. At the same time, films like Topkapi (in which a group of art thieves attempt to steal from an Istanbul palace) in 1964, How to Steal a Million (in which Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole plan a heist for altruistic ends) and Gambit (starring Michael Caine as a plucky cat thief who steals an antique bust) helped make It’s magic for such characters.

According to historical writer Susan Ronald, who specializes in art crime, the rise of art thieves in popular culture reflects the anti-authority mentality of the time. “Part of [the appeal of these characters] He is [their] “Beat the establishment,” she explains. “The fact that art heists don’t usually involve private individuals makes it more plausible. It’s an institution, and there’s something very daring about it.”