1972 Worcester Art Museum robbery

Summary

On May 17, 1972, thieves stole four paintings – worth more than a million dollars total – from the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. The paintings were recovered in the hayloft of a nearby pig farm a month later. The two robbers and three accomplices were arrested and convicted. Several sources consider the robbery the incident that popularized art heists in the United States. The incident also served as an inspiration for the 2025 film The Mastermind.