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 happened to drop a crown in their path while fleeing. All of the other eight pieces are still missing. It took place in the most visited museum in the world, the Louvre Museum. This 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. Although the heist was committed less than two weeks before Halloween, many costume variations of jewels and robbers could be seen trick-or-treating. People were intrigued by how it was done, seemingly pretty simply and in broad daylight, and they wanted to show their interest in any way they could.

“Cinematic” is a good word to use to describe what has occurred, because movies have long dictated what society has come to expect in a heist. Lasers and death-defying stunts were expected to be seen. 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.

When reading the news today, it is inevitable that articles and headlines about politics and human rights are going to be seen. This heist generated a new kind of headline, one 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.