It may come as no surprise that the morning following St. Patrick’s Day, many people may not be as attentive and clear-headed as usual. The post-party revelry may lead folks to let their guard down. Maybe haziness was a contributing factor to a March 18, 1990, incident that took place in Boston.
A storm erupted when two thieves disguised as police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and made off with over $500 million in artwork. This was the greatest known property heist in history. It included thirteen works, among them Rembrandt’s “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee.” None of the artwork has been recovered, and the FBI criminal case remains open.
Rembrandt’s painting is his only seascape and considered by many art experts as his most dramatic masterpiece. The oil on canvas painting depicts the Bible story of Jesus calming a storm from the Gospel of Mark. Painted when he was 27 years old, Rembrandt’s results helped distinguish himself among his peers during the 1630s as a serious artist of history paintings and portraits. “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” has been noted for its imagery of the storm’s intensity and violence. The ship’s mast diagonally creates two triangles, one with its lights highlighting the storm’s intensity and the other with its darkness capturing the dread of the situation.
Sadly, we cannot admire the famous painting at the Boston museum. Only the artwork’s empty frame remains in its original position on the museum wall. But the depicted story remains available to all. Join us this Sunday, June 20th, for worship at our 9:15 AM (indoor) and 10:30 AM (outdoor drive-in) liturgies. Sunday’s Gospel message, Mark 4:35-41, brings to life the image Rembrandt brilliantly painted. Jesus calming the storms of our life can never be stolen.