How to Steal a Million - Famous Art Thefts - A Talk presented by The Arts Society Ealing - Monday 23 March 2026

We have all heard about audacious art heists that are more like blockbuster movies than run-of-the-mill burglaries. In this lecture we will look at famous art thefts and discuss what motivates art thieves, as well as examine what aspects the thefts have in common. We will also look at where the burglars made mistakes, which enabled investigators to swoop in and recover stolen masterpieces. In many cases, the police sting operations were just as daring as the thefts.

Our lecturer, Shauna Isaac has been active in World War II art restitution for several years, and has worked with families and government organisations to recover Nazi looted art. Shauna studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art in the UK and at Smith College in the USA. She is a regular lecturer at the Sotheby's Institute of Art. Her publications include articles for The Art Newspaper, The Times Literary Supplement and Art Quarterly.

This talk starts at 7:30pm on Monday 23rd March at St Barnabas Church Hall, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing W5 1QG.

Doors open at 6:45pm, and lecture starts at 7:30pm.

Visitors are welcome to attend at £10 per lecture (£3 for students); payment can be made by card on the evening.