The Art Heist that Took the World by Storm

On a chilly Sunday morning at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, all seemed to be normal. That is, until four thieves broke into one of the galleries and stole over $100 million worth of royal diamonds and jewels. These thieves, in construction vests, climbed up a ladder to the gallery, broke a window, cut through the display cases, and made off with the jewelry all within seven minutes.

In total, they stole nine pieces—but dropped a crown in their path while fleeing. All of the other eight pieces are still missing. The Louvre Museum holds many masterpieces, such as the Mona Lisa or the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and these thieves had the bravery and audacity to take on stealing from it.

This heist immediately became the talk of all social media platforms and news outlets, with articles, comedic videos, and posts immediately trending. The heist was committed less than two weeks before Halloween, and many costume variations of jewels and robbers could be seen while trick-or-treating. People were intrigued by how it was done—seemingly pretty simply and in broad daylight.

“Cinematic” is a good word to use to describe what has occurred. Movies have long dictated what society has come to expect in a heist— Like lasers and death-defying stunts. This heist had none of that, just four thieves breaking into a museum with power tools and a whole lot of motivation.

According to sociologist Ruth Penfold-Mounce, heists are quite different from the more common robberies or thefts seen around the world.

“A heist is audacious, displaying cunning, teamwork, patience, and spectacular attention to detail in terms of articulating the plan successfully,” said Penfold-Mounce.

It’s different because it’s bigger and more grandiose and that is something that has not been seen in a robbery recently.

This heist generated a new kind of headline that hasn’t been seen in many years. It created a sense of newness and excitement—supplying articles to readers about something other than the horrific state of the world. While these thieves did steal millions of dollars worth of jewels, this theft gave news feeds a bit of lightheartedness that is hard to come by.

Essentially, this art heist provided everyone with something that they weren’t expecting: a bit of fun. With its magnificence and bravery, this heist lightened up the world by allowing people to be creative and joke about something new.

What was your favorite response to the Louvre heist that you saw? Leave a comment below.