Boundary Stones

In 1967, the Most Expensive Art Ever Purchased Arrived at the National Gallery of Art in a Suitcase

On a cold night on February 8, 1967, a plane landed at National Airport. The only indication of the plane’s arrival came through a cryptic message, sent by the FBI agents on board: “the Bird” had landed. On the plane was precious cargo — a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, purchased for a record-breaking sum after a decades-long pursuit by the National Gallery.

In 1967, the Most Expensive Art Ever Purchased Arrived at the National Gallery of Art in a Suitcase

5m 36s

On a cold night on February 8, 1967, a plane landed at National Airport. The only indication of the plane’s arrival came through a cryptic message, sent by the FBI agents on board: “the Bird” had landed. On the plane was precious cargo — a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, purchased for a record-breaking sum after a decades-long pursuit by the National Gallery.

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