ONLINE ART HISTORY COURSE  “The Worldwide Problem of Art Crime”

Course Description:

This course will cover the underreported and surprisingly vast world of crimes against art. It will focus on the history of art theft, who art thieves really are, and the issue of art forgery scams. The instructor, Anthony Amore, is a best-selling author of books on these topics and has been investigating art crime for more than two decades.

Virtual Classroom: Full access to an online educational platform with videos of recordings, syllabus, and reading list.

Location: LIVE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE ART HISTORY LECTURES

Optional Readings: Information will be provided 2 weeks before the start of the course.

Complete syllabus will be provided 2 weeks before the start of the course.

• ALL LECTURES WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE IN OUR VIDEO LIBRARY FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THE COURSE HAS ENDED.

LECTURE 1 – The History of Art Theft

– Monday, February 15

As long as humans have been creating art, people have been stealing it. This section will provide the stories behind the most noteworthy art heists in history and provide an overview that give the attendee an insight into the masterpieces that have been stolen throughout the ages.

LECTURE 2 – The Art Thief

– Monday, February 22

There is a wide chasm between who the public thinks steals art and who really does it. This section will provide details about who really steals art. It will include the profile of art thieves and tell the stories of some of the most noteworthy among them.

LECTURE 3 – The Art Con

– Monday, March 1

Theft isn’t the only way criminals seek to make illicit money in the art world. Art fraud is a persistent problem. This section will explain exactly how con men (and women) dupe buyers into purchasing what they think is a masterpiece but, in fact, is far from one.

Anthony Amore is an author, art theft expert, and security professional. For the past twenty years, he has served as the security director and investigator for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the site of the largest heist in history. He has written four non-fiction books on the topic of art crime. His latest, The Rembrandt Heist, was named one of the ten best history books of 2025 by Smithsonian Magazine. He lives in Boston.