Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft often called a 'curse'

On March 18, 1990, thieves stole 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, including Vermeer's The Concert and Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee; the theft remains unsolved. The missing pieces and the unresolved nature of the crime have led to recurring descriptions in media and public discussion that the museum or collection is 'cursed' until the works are recovered. The museum continues to offer a reward and displays an empty frame where the Rembrandt hung, and commentators treat the 'curse' label as folkloric rather than factual.