SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — It’s the headline that’s sweeping the nation: eight priceless jewels were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Locally, it’s got staff at the Everhart Museum in Scranton talking, as an over two-decade-long art heist mystery came to a close earlier this year, with three individuals found guilty of stealing artwork and artifacts from the museum.
The museum heist happened on Sunday morning, around 9:30 while the museum was open. Everhart museum curator James Lansing says time is of the essence after a heist, and every hour matters.
“If they don’t get them back quickly, they’ll never see them again,” he said, “there’s no time to get these back if they have not already been broken apart or melted down.”
Lansing knows this from experience. 20 years ago, a heist occurred at the Scranton museum, resulting in the theft of two paintings, a Jackson Pollack and an Andy Warhol. While the thieves have been prosecuted, the works remain missing.
He says an art heist is far from a victimless crime.
“Oh no, it’s more of a crime because of the significance of the items to society,” said Lansing.
According to the Associated Press, the Paris prosecutor says the jewels stolen from the Louvre are worth an estimated $102 million, but Lansing says the value of the artwork itself is priceless.
“It can never be replaced, and people have to recognize the museum is for the society. For the cultural significance, and historically, these items are irreplaceable.”
Sources say the Louvre heist was carried out in seven minutes, while the museum was open, and those in the art world say it was no simple crime.
“I was shocked, but then again, I wasn’t. When I saw pictures of it, I knew those guys were professionals. They were in and out so fast,” said Lansing, “I think they knew exactly what they were in there for; they had been in there to check out what they were going to get.”