Johannes Vermeer on Wikimedia

No one could've predicted what would've gone down at the Isabella Stewart Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, just a day before the biggest art heist in history unfolded itself. Now, 35 years later, the frames in the museum stand as empty and still as they were after thieves cut 13 works of art totalling $500 million from the wall. And as crazy as it is to believe, the whole ordeal took just under an hour and a half to carry out.

But how could this have happened? Is the crime really still unsolved? Here's what it looks like when some of the most important pieces of art in the world and millions of dollars disappear into the night.

The Perfect Disguise

It's Sunday, March 18, 1990, when most of Boston was still celebrating the St. Patrick's Day weekend. In the early hours of the morning, just after midnight, two police officers rang the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's intercom, claiming that they were responding to a disturbance. The security guard on duty let them in, and that was when the whole landscape changed: suddenly, he and another night guard were overpowered and restrained in the basement.

In the next 81 minutes, 13 important artifacts were torn from the walls. Several were taken from the second floor; others were cut from their frames, and many more pieces were yanked out. Notable pieces include paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer, such as Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee and The Concert. All in all, the thieves stole $500 million worth—and that was just what these artworks were valued at the time of the heist.

The Artworks

Rembrandt on Wikimedia

Of the 13 works of art that were stolen, the most valuable at the time was Johannes Vermeer's The Concert, which was estimated to be worth around $250 million in 2015; in fact, experts think it's likely the most valuable stolen object in the world. As noted, numerous artworks by Rembrandt van Rijn were also taken: Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee (his only seascape and one of his earliest works; estimated to be valued at $140 million), A Lady and Gentleman in Black, and a self-portrait. Landscape with an Obelisk by Govert Flinck was cut from its frame as well, likely because it'd been formerly attributed to Rembrandt. Five paintings by Edgar Degas went missing as well.

However, an ancient Chinese gu (beaker) and a bronze eagle finial from Napoleon’s Imperial Guard were also stolen, and some of the thieves' choices puzzled investigators, as these smaller pieces weren't as valuable as other works on display that went (thankfully) overlooked.

The Aftermath

To this day, the heist is unsolved, and the FBI is still looking for leads that can help them solve the case and return the artworks back where they belong. Starting from 1994, four years after the heist occurred, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum decided to leave the gaping frames where Rembrandt's and Vermeer's paintings were once displayed exactly as they were. It serves as a reminder to the viewers of what was lost, and what the museum hopes to one day welcome back.