Art heists are chic — at least, that’s when Gen Zers think. On Oct. 19, thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels from the Louvre, and while your Art History major bestie might be clutching their pearls, the internet is taking a… different approach. Since the robbery, thousands of Louvre heist memes have been circulating on social media. And, NGL, they’re hilarious.
If this is your first time hearing about an art heist, then you should know they’re a pretty big deal. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed on Oct. 21 that the stolen jewels have an estimated value of 88 million euros ($102 million), and that it’s imperative to find the thieves before they melt down the jewels to resell them.
And while these jewels are major pieces of world history (one piece belonged to the wife of Napoleon III), Gen Z is known for being completely unserious. Back in September, memes about the 2025 rapture (aka, the day many Christians believed would be the end of the world) went viral — and before that, internet users memed major events like the selection of the new Pope and the 2024 Presidential Election. Now, Gen Zers are shifting their attention to the Louvre heist — and in true internet fashion, the memes are so good.
Like, do you know any other generation that would romanticize the “heist aesthetic”?
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a Wattpad author milking this for all its worth RN.
But it’s not just edits. On X, users are drawing comparisons to Lorde’s 2014 masterpiece “The Louvre,” which was also robbed… of a Grammy. Fitting, right?
Other users are getting even more unserious — but I’ll let these Louvre heist memes speak for themselves.
IDK about you, but I’m 100% invested.