The Louvre’s Gallery of Apollo was the first royal gallery in France. Gold-hued paintings depict the journey of Apollo, god of the sun, from dawn to dusk. Filled with light, warmth, and splendor, the gallery is a testament to the unwavering power of its commissioner Louis XIV.
It also displays, without aversion, his opulence. The French Crown Jewel Collection and Louis XIV’s hardstone vessel collection comprise hundreds of millions of dollars worth of value. For decades, they remained behind glass.
9:30 AM. October 19, 2025.
Two individuals in construction vests would, in less than eight minutes, shatter the Louvre’s illusion of impermeability.
Equipped with just a motorized angle grinder, the pair made quick work of two display cases. In and out as if rehearsed, they carried off eight heritage jewel pieces. Among them: a sapphire tiara, necklace, and single earring linked to French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and earrings belonging to Napoleon’s second wife; a diamond-encrusted brooch; and Empress Eugénie’s tiara and large corsage-bow brooch.
With gold, glitz, and glam, this heist seems straight out of a Bond movie. In fact, social media sites seem abuzz with the entertainment of it all.
While public officials have condemned the act, the internet responded with a kind of ironic romanticism. Some are posting humorous videos, like an “interpretive dance inspired by the Louvre robbery” that has already gathered almost ten million views, or this trend where users post an edited picture of themselves wearing one of the stolen pieces at the end of their ‘day at the Louvre’. One user posts “I hope the robbers from the Louvre were lovers… the camera turns around them, wind in their hair, laughing, and you almost believe love can get away with anything.”
It’s ironic. It’s funny. But it’s also romantic. And there’s a certain thrill in not knowing the motive – it leaves room for projection.
After all, it’s October; people are itching for a thrilling mystery.
“The Louvre heist has every component: an iconic setting steeped in centuries of historical significance, a brazen act in the face of profligate wealth, and endless speculation about security and motivation.”
Plus, no one was hurt.
There’s no doubt these factors have massively contributed to the heist’s explosion on social media. However, there may be more. A current anti-establishment and anti-imperialist social narrative frames the Louvre theft in a particularly striking way.
French president Emmanuel Macron described the heist as an “attack on the country’s heritage”. But when his people distrust him and that “heritage” runs bloody with colonialist ties, the act becomes more morally ambiguous. After all, the jewels themselves were stolen from regions “systematically exploited for their cultural and natural resources”, sustained by slavery. In this gray space, people feel empowered to romanticize, even support, the theft of France’s priceless jewels.
And on a global scale, the heist happened just one day after nearly seven million people rallied across the United States against Trump at No Kings protests. Many French and American citizens share sentiments towards current leaders, believing them to defend the rich and take from the poor and middle classes. In a way, then, the Louvre heist feels like a strike back – a poetic reclamation. Symbolically, Empress Eugénie’s crown was also found dropped by the thieves, damaged on the escape route.
News of the heist also interrupts a stream of headlines that seem to perpetually tout the new achievements and omnipresence of AI and automation. One user calls it inspiring – “in this day and age of AI… it’s just kind of wonderful to see a good old-fashioned heist!”
Honestly, there’s a lot to love about the incident. Even the escape vehicles–motor scooters–feel silly in a way that promotes lighthearted investment in the crime. It’s like a movie, but not the bleak dystopian drama we’re inundated by on the news.
Taken altogether, it’s no wonder the internet fell in love with this story. Content includes ‘fan-casts’ of a theoretical movie, Halloween costume inspiration, and inspired playlists. Such an absurd series of events makes for an unexpected source of fascination, whimsy, and sentimentality.
This brazen heist has certainly captivated social media sites unlike any other recent news. We’ve yet to learn more about the thieves, or their motivation (although I’m sure Netflix is working on a series adaptation as we speak). But in the meantime, I can’t say I’m not enjoying the inventive content it has inspired.
Though certainly a “national disaster” for France, the Louvre’s robbery may have been just the perfect dose of escapism our current sociopolitical climate needs.