A viral video of an FBI raid at a Chelsea art gallery recently sent social media into a frenzy.
The footage suggested that authorities had recovered Storm on the Sea of Galilee, a Rembrandt masterpiece stolen in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist of 1990. But was it real?
A viral mystery in the art world
Over the weekend, TikTok and Instagram users widely shared a video showing FBI agents confiscating a painting from a New York gallery. Many speculated that it was the long-lost Rembrandt stolen in the infamous Gardner heist, a case that remains unsolved after more than three decades.
However, the dramatic scene turned out to be a publicity stunt for Any Day Now, an upcoming independent film inspired by the 1990 theft. The movie’s director, Eric Aronson, partnered with ImprovEverywhere to create an immersive art activation, featuring a pop-up gallery of the 13 missing works—culminating in a staged FBI raid.
Art, cinema, and viral marketing
The unconventional campaign successfully captured the internet’s attention, with audiences debating whether the stunt blurred ethical lines or was a brilliant example of guerrilla marketing. “People seem to like our rebellious, outside-the-box approach,” Aronson told The Observer.
Meanwhile, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is marking the heist’s 35th anniversary by restoring the empty frames of the stolen paintings, a symbolic gesture of hope for their return. The museum continues to offer a $10 million reward for credible leads on the missing artworks.
The enduring fascination with the Gardner heist
The unsolved robbery remains one of the most notorious art crimes in history, fueling documentaries, books, and now, feature films. As interest in the case resurfaces, the Gardner Museum’s tribute highlights the emotional weight of the lost masterpieces.
