Post Reports How thieves pulled off the Louvre jewel heist in minutes
7 snips
Oct 21, 2025 In this captivating discussion, Philip Kennicott, Senior art and architecture critic for The Washington Post, dissects the audacious Louvre jewel heist. He reveals how thieves executed their plan with disguises and a quick escape through a window. Philip dives into the historical significance of the stolen Napoleonic-era jewels and shares the public outrage in France regarding security failures. He also explores the challenges thieves face in selling such high-profile gems, emphasizing the broader implications of this theft on cultural access and inequality.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Bold Daylight Break-In Using Disguises
- Thieves used a mechanical ladder to enter the Louvre's Gallery of Apollo in broad daylight wearing yellow vests as disguises.
- They cut display cases with specialized tools, grabbed what they could in minutes, and escaped on mopeds while alarms apparently failed to stop them.
Jewels As Public History
- The stolen jewels date largely from early 19th-century France and symbolize concentrated aristocratic wealth and historical injustice.
- Philip Kennicott emphasizes these objects belong to the public as artifacts of national history, not private luxury.
Jewels Are Easier To Monetize Than Paintings
- Unlike famous paintings, jewels can be broken down, recut, or melted, giving thieves practical resale options.
- Kennicott and prosecutors estimate the haul at about €88 million, but actual recoverable value is uncertain.