Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
On 4 September 1972, three thieves broke in through a skylight on the roof of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and made off with artworks valued at $2 million at that time.
Only two of the stolen artworks have ever turned up, returned by the thieves themselves during ransom attempts.
Who was responsible for the Skylight Caper, and will they ever be caught? After all these years, is there any hope of finding the missing artwork?
Learn more about this robbery and the one-of-a-kind stolen masterpieces in this video.
Version française : youtu.be/MCfmSGLsA34
READ:
The Skylight Caper: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/skylight-caper-1972-montreal-art-heist
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/montreal-museum-of-fine-arts
Written, edited and voiced by Jessica Patterson, with files from the article in The Canadian Encyclopedia by Taylor C. Noakes.
Music: Beyond the Sea by Bemused, via Jamendo Licensing.
On 4 September 1972, three thieves broke in through a skylight on the roof of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and made off with artworks valued at $2 million at that time.
Only two of the stolen artworks have ever turned up, returned by the thieves themselves during ransom attempts.
Who was responsible for the Skylight Caper, and will they ever be caught? After all these years, is there any hope of finding the missing artwork?
Learn more about this robbery and the one-of-a-kind stolen masterpieces in this video.
Version française : youtu.be/MCfmSGLsA34
READ:
The Skylight Caper: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/skylight-caper-1972-montreal-art-heist
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/montreal-museum-of-fine-arts
Written, edited and voiced by Jessica Patterson, with files from the article in The Canadian Encyclopedia by Taylor C. Noakes.
Music: Beyond the Sea by Bemused, via Jamendo Licensing.
