The Woman Who Stole Vermeer: The True Story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House Art Heist

by Anthony M. Amore

The extraordinary life and crimes of heiress-turned-revolutionary Rose Dugdale, who in 1974 became the only woman to pull off a major art heist.

In the world of crime, there exists an unusual commonality between those who steal art and those who repeatedly they are almost exclusively male. But, as with all things, there is always an outlier—someone who bucks the trend, defying the reliable profiles and leaving investigators and researchers scratching their heads. In the history of major art heists, that outlier is Rose Dugdale.

Dugdale’s life is singularly notorious. Born into extreme wealth, she abandoned her life as an Oxford-trained PhD and heiress to join the cause of Irish Republicanism. While on the surface she appears to be the British version of Patricia Hearst, she is anything but.

Dugdale ran head-first towards the action, spearheading the first aerial terrorist attack in British history and pulling off the biggest art theft of her time. In 1974, she led a gang into the opulent Russborough House in Ireland and made off with millions in prized paintings, including works by Goya, Gainsborough, and Rubens, as well as Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid by the mysterious master Johannes Vermeer. Dugdale thus became—to this day—the only woman to pull off a major art heist. And as Anthony Amore explores in The Woman Who Stole Vermeer , it’s likely that this was not her only such heist.

The Woman Who Stole Vermeer is Rose Dugdale’s story, from her idyllic upbringing in Devonshire and her presentation to Elizabeth II as a debutante to her university years and her eventual radical lifestyle. Her life of crime and activism is at turns unbelievable and awe-inspiring, and sure to engross readers.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Art, Biography, Crime, Art History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2020

About the author

Anthony M. Amore is the Director of Security and Chief Investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum where he is charged with efforts to recover 13 works of art stolen on March 18, 1990.

He regularly writes on his "Big Security" Substack account and is a frequent commentator on national and international news outlets on topics ranging from security to art crime to politics.

Prior to the highly-acclaimed THE WOMAN WHO STOLE VERMEER, he wrote THE ART OF THE CON, which was a New York Times Crime Best Seller and an Amazon Best Pick of 2015. His first book, STEALING REMBRANDTS, was a Wall Street Journal Crime Best Seller and an influential work in the field of art theft investigations.

He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Jill Hutchinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, non, nyet..........I almost didn't finish this book which I seldom do. Why?.......I could not bear the woman, Rose Dugdale, who was the subject of the story.....and she was unbearable.

The title is somewhat misleading since the theft of the Vermeer is not addressed until later in the book. I am not saying that the author doesn't write well.........it was the main character that engendered my intense dislike of this book. Enough said!

[Robert Sheard · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you pick this one up thinking it's about Vermeer and stolen art, you're going to be disappointed. Vermeer and the art heists hinted at in the title aren't even mentioned until more than halfway through the book, and then they're finished with in 30-40 pages.

This is really a portrait of Rose Dugdale's life as a wannabe revolutionary. A spoiled rich girl, debutante, hypocrite, mediocre student, Rose suddenly turns on her family and Capitalism after university and starts looking for a fight–pretty much any fight.

She attends Castro's summer camp for revolutionaries in Cuba, travels to any civil protest she can find in the 1960s, all the while still enjoying the material wealth from her family. (A socialist revolutionary who buys her boyfriend a Mercedes? Umm... no.)

Ultimately Rose adopts the cause of the IRA. It's telling that the IRA never really accepts Rose. They don't trust her, they don't think she knows what she's doing, and what she does she does fairly poorly. But Rose is all about the show, the noise, the pot-stirring. The problem for every revolution is that when you knock off whatever is on top, it has to be replaced by something else as the system "revolves." Rose never thought that far ahead. She just wanted to fight everyone and everything.

I've read Patrick Radden Keefe's Say Nothing, and if you're looking for a great book on the Troubles, that's a far better choice. If you're really interested in Vermeer and the two art heists mentioned in this book, the rest is a lot to wade through for very little about the art.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very misleading book title. This book is not essentially about the art heist.

It is a bio of Rose Dugdale born into a wealthy British family, enjoys a distinguished educational experience (at Oxford no less!) much of which was not even possible for women of the time. Dugdale earned herself a PhD. Did she appreciate her advantages? No!

The first part of the book is not very interesting. The actual art heist isn’t mentioned until page 140 and takes up only a tiny part of the book. Going forward if you have a special interest in the IRA you will love this book.

By page 82 Dugdale has moved in to live with her married lover and his wife. 🙄
Page 83: “Though she was (and would remain) quite defensive about her background, always attempting to downplay her pedigree, Dugdale was still reaping the benefits of wealth.”
She had no problem using her wealth to buy expensive luxury items for her lover. So much for denigrating her family wealth!

Rose Dugdale was a boorish British upper class brat intent on getting her name in the papers, if only to embarrass her wealthy parents.

[Dan Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research into the back story of the Russborough House Art Heist by one of the most complex thieves I've ever read about. Put aside most everything you've ever thought you knew about art thieves for this richly woven story. Unsure if history has any other art thief/terrorist/activist combo, let alone as a female protagonist. Amore peels back the layers of Rose Dugdale's repudiation of her upbringing and station in life.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of Rose Dugdale relates how she transformed from the privileged daughter of a wealthy British family to a freedom fighter for Irish independence. The primary set-piece (which occurs late in the book) involves her planning and execution of the theft of 19 paintings worth millions of pounds from Russborough House in County Wicklow, including Vermeer's "Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid." The narrative follows her arrest and theatrical trial where she used the courtroom as a platform to promote IRA ideology. Amore also explores her involvement in gunrunning, a botched helicopter bombing of a British police station, and (possibly) the theft of another Vermeer work.

Amore constructs the biography chronologically from Dugdale's childhood through her criminal career, drawing on public records, news reports, and interviews of people who knew Dugdale personally. The book’s title is a bit misleading, since very little of it covers the art heist. It is mostly focused on Dugdale’s life and the history of Irish Republicanism. I feel like I gained insight into the psychology of radicalism, and more context of how The Troubles impacted lives.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not exactly what I expected it to be, but I am glad I read it! The stealing of art work was only a very narrow part of the story.... the real story was about the radicalization of an aristocratic British woman who joined in the fight for freeing Ireland from the UK. I learned much about the IRA and fringe groups and found some close parallels to what is happening today in the radicalization of political groups in the US. It is not a long book, but it is packed full of information and is well documented.

[Rachel Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A revolution, true crime, art history, and a touch of feminism.... what more could you want?!
Well researched and great telling of a fascinating piece of history

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems more a bio of Rose Dugdale and her development from growing up in the English aristocracy to becoming an Irish freedom activist than it does the story of the art heist. It began pretty slowly and rather academically, and I considered dnf-ing. but then became engrossed in her story. I had no prior knowledge of her newsworthy crimes and trials, but they happened during my college years when I really didn't keep up with world happenings and knew very little about the Irish political struggles. The passion that steered her into her criminal behavior is clear and ongoing. An interview with Rose can be found on YouTube.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, it is quite remarkable that I have been able to see all of Johanne Vermeer’s paintings for how often they seem to get stolen. Well, I’ve seen all but “The Concert”, still missing from the heist of Boston’s 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, but I saw its empty frame.

Second, reading Anthony M. Amore’s book, “The Woman Who Stole Vermeer: The True Story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House Art Heist,” about an English debutante turned militant extremist after your own country just had an attempted coup by its own militant extremists, is not a good idea. Despite the fact that Dugdale was fighting for the noble cause of helping Northern Ireland free itself from British imperial rule (unlike our country’s terrorists), her adherence to direct and violent confrontation above all else turned my stomach. She is a much more sympathetic person earlier in her life when she eschewed the normal role of upper-class girls: forgoing a university education for a “season” to find a husband. She yearned for an education and eventually got one at Oxford and later, Mt. Holyoke. Her studies in economics lead her to renounce her family and class origins and fight for the poor in London. From there she became interested in the Irish “Troubles” and worked tirelessly to transport arms and fight for their crusade. However, this did not mean that she wanted to fight with the IRA, who never fully trusted her or her motives. She found their methods not fervent enough (regardless of their ceaseless bombings) and vowed for more extreme action. As a fringe-member, she often disrupted the work the IRA was trying to do. To put it bluntly: she was obnoxious.

Her violent exploits in Ireland make her infamous enough, but her notoriety comes from her being the only female to commit an art heist and the biggest theft in the world at that time. In order to gain some leverage to help some political prisoners, she orchestrated the theft of Vermeer’s “Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid” and many other paintings from the esteemed Russborough House. This was the most interesting part of the book, as it focused on Vermeer and art theft, but unfortunately, it is also the shortest part of the book. Then it was back to Dugdale and her obnoxious behavior. I wanted more Vermeer.

Here is a spoiler: You can see “Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid” at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin; it is surrounded by other similar-looking inside scenes from other Dutch artists, but you will know it immediately. It’s a Vermeer.

(I also recommend popping into the nearby Hansel and Gretel Patisserie for a piece of Bakewell tart.)

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d at 45%. As others have noted, the title is misleading. It’s a reverent, research-dump biography. What it’s not is a true crime book. And its subject is someone about whom I’ve learned more than I needed to know.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, relating a very 1970s story. Rose Dugdale, born and raised in the upper levels of British Society (including being a debutante), became progressively more radicalized during the late 1960s. Originally a rebel without a cause, or perhaps : too many diffuse causes, she fixed upon the Irish Troubles as her life's work. It' s not clear whether the IRA welcomed her help (having no need of amateurs and being distrustful of her upper-class English background) and it seems she organized most of her stunts alone, or with the help of her lovers. This included an attempted aerial bombing (from a hijacked helicopter) of a police station, and at least 2 art heists. The first was in her own parents' house, the second was the Russborough House heist. In both cases there was not really much doubt about whodunnit, and the main challenge after the Russborough House theft was to find the fugitive Rose. This was accomplished by old-fashioned police work : constables knocking on every door of every farm in the Irish countryside, asking whether a woman with a British accent had lodged there.

The best part of the book is the story of Rose's activism and her courtroom antics. Her dogmatic views and slogan-esque pronouncements carry the whiff of mothballs, but this was the lingo of the 1970s. I also liked the historical background of the Irish Troubles, including the never-ending list of skirmishes, car bombs and hunger strikes.

Here and there the book gave signs of being written in haste or insufficiently edited. For instance, the 2-week hostage situation engineered by Rose's second, Gallagher, when he and some confederates kidnapped the (Dutch) manager of an Irish factory) is dealt with very summarily. And in the last chapters, there are sentences with words missing. The later life of Rose Dugdale is also barely mentioned, and I would have liked to know what became of the son (born while Rose was in prison).

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Privilege, apparently, is a terrible burden. Especially the English aristocratic kind. Leads one to an eternal state of resentment about the materialistic largesse granted by birthright, but doesn’t place one above burglary of one’s parental home. Sheesh. King Lear must have been thinking of the subject of this book when stating, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.”

But who knows, maybe life was indeed terrible behind those Downton Abbeyesque walls. Maybe it was tough learning all those societal dos and don’ts as a young child. And lack of parental warmth can certainly wreak havoc on even the strongest of souls.

3 stars because I enjoyed learning about 60s/70s societal unrest through the events surrounding the main character’s life, though I found her quite unlikeable throughout. That’s fine, as I’m confident she wouldn’t like me either.

[Mary Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay, but it’s veryyy heavy on the Irish political history. If I were less interested in the IRA I would be more annoyed by it. Still I feel that Anthony M. Amore, as the director of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, should have some really valuable insights into how art heists are plotted and carried out, but that doesn’t satisfactorily manifest itself on the page.

[Patricia Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book but not, to my mind, really "art-crime." It's more of a biography of Rose Dugdale, a British debutante turned fringe IRA fighter, who was also an art thief. I read The Irish Game and felt I knew as much about her as I really needed to after that, but Amore provides a history of that period of the Irish Troubles and many of the other characters involved to give more context to what she did overall, not just around the robbery at Russborough House. It is an interesting story, particularly to me, as I spent considerable time in Ireland and England during the early 1970s.

Amore seems a bit obsessed with Dugdale and writes with somewhat grudging admiration of her exploits, even the most violent ones, and many of the accompanying photographs are credited as being "from the author's personal collection." I found this odd, given Amore's background in law enforcement and ties to the FBI. I can certainly see, after what happened with the Belfast Project interviews, why Rose declined to speak to him, but hearing about her later life would have rounded the story out nicely.

The part I found most intriguing was the robbery at Kenwood House, in which Vermeer's The Guitar Player was stolen. This took place just a couple of months before the Russborough House theft and Amore posits that Rose Dugdale was behind this heist as well. The clues do seem to point that way, but the secrecy surrounding the recovery (authorities never revealed the identity of the tipster, and no one was ever charged) is perplexing, to say the least. Perhaps someone else was involved that the police were reluctant to name because they were an informant? We'll probably never know.

Another review I read mentioned that the end of the book seemed rushed, particularly around the kidnapping of Tiede Herrema, and that there were words left out in later chapters. I agree with this and also found several typos throughout the text, which was irritating. Hopefully, these will be corrected in the paperback edition.

[Soumya Tejam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Woman Who Stole Vermeer: The True Story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House Art Heist is positioned as the true story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House art heist, but it's also a history of the times in which she participated. Without being able to interview her directly for any material, Anthony M. Amore has done a remarkable job of assembling and fleshing out data points to provide both the setting and motivations behind her actions. The best part of the book is the story of Rose's activism and her courtroom antics. Her dogmatic views and slogan-esque pronouncements carry the whiff of mothballs, but this was the lingo of the 1970s. I also liked the historical background of the Irish Troubles, including the never-ending list of skirmishes, car bombs and hunger strikes. It is rare to read the biography of a woman who is remembered for her crimes.

[Amanda | amandainthelibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was extremely disappointed with this book. The title gives a reader the impression that this story is completely about the Vermeer paintings and the art heist that occurred. Wrong. It isn’t until page 140 that the stolen pieces are mentioned. About 40 pages later the heist and the investigation is all wrapped up, and we are forced to turn our attention back to all of Rose’s issues.

I kept reading because I really wanted to know about the art and the heist, and I had already committed so much of my time reading about the insufferable Rose to get to the part I cared about. Then I felt obligated to keep reading after the brief mention of the theft, hoping there would be something more written about it. But once again it turned into the Rose show.

Basically all I learned from this story is that Rose Dugdale appropriates Irish culture, has Daddy/Mommy issues, loves dating criminals, and is a complete psychopath. She has no clue what she is fighting for, but as long as she thinks she’s a badass doing it, she’s achieved her goal.

[David Schwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this expecting a story about an art heist, and got instead a history of one woman's involvement in the IRA and its conflict with the UK. If your looking for history of the IRA vs. UK, a good book, as an art heist book it is quite lacking.

[Mark Holsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We are looking for either a master thief or a madman.” Scotland Yard incorrectly assumed. For it was a woman, Rose Dugdale, who was the mastermind behind art thefts and one attempt at an aerial bombing of a police station. The book could have been titled: “the woman who stole Vermeers” because she probably stole two.

This biography of Rose Dugdale follows a strictly chronological narrative. Consequently, it has a prolonged start with her childhood and education, including her PhD. Followed by the development of her earnest politics. And then more chapters on the background of the Irish Troubles, Bloody Sunday and other revolutionary politics of the 1960s. 

There are 262 pages in the book, including the author’s note, bibliography, endnotes and acknowledgements. It is only on p. 99 that any art is stolen, and then they are unnamed paintings from Dugdale’s family home. And not until p.147 that a Vermeer is stolen.

Not that it takes the police long to arrest her and recover the stolen art. Famous stolen art might not be able to be sold, but there are often political motivations for art theft. And Dugdale was all about politics.

Despite defending Dugdale’s autonomy and leadership in his introduction, author, Anthony M. Amore fails to provide evidence that anyone ever suggested otherwise.

Amore, the Director of Security and Chief Investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, has written two other books about art crimes Stealing Rembrandt and The Art of the Con. However, his “investigator and security practitioner” background was a problem because his subject, Dugdale, wouldn’t talk to him for fear her interview could be used to convict former IRA members. Not that his background in security seems to give him any insights into the three art thefts. Unfortunately, this means that he can’t examine Dugdale’s intellectual life, nor does it provide any insight into Irish politics.

[lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good! This is more 3.5 stars than 4 but I really enjoyed it.

This book gives a detailed look at Dugdale's early life, the political climate during her activism, and other key figures that inspired her work.

Dugdale herself is so unlikeable to me but I enjoyed reading her story (I repeat: Moshfeghian!). This story covers a very interesting time period but I do think Dugdale was one of the most boring characters to focus on. That's on me though for picking up a book about her life LOL.

Also, I didn't love this author. He conveyed the facts very well but every time we got a look at his personality through the text I was rolling my eyes (no hate). I really appreciate his attentiveness and expertise when it came to the art chapters though.

Reading this has definitely put Say Nothing higher on my TBR list.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story of Rose Dugdale and her political activism was news to me, I can see how it was a big story in Britain in the 1970s. The title "The Woman Who Stole Vermeer" doesn't do the book justice as that specific crime is only a small part of the whole story. Rose's story is much more complicated than just stealing a famous painting. Hers is a story of a privileged British upbringing and education being upended by Black Sunday and her sworn commitment to the cause of Irish Republicanism. Her path of criminal and terroristic activities was all the more shocking because of her elitist background.

Anthony Amore does a serviceable job in telling the story, but I felt that I was missing pieces of the puzzle. I also thought the title was a bit misleading, though it was that crime that brought Rose to international attention.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

We don’t get to the subject matter of the title until half way through the book. This is a biography of Rose Dugdale written by an art security expert who is a friend of a friend of mine. Rose Dugdale was similar to Patty Hearst but also very different. It’s well written but Rose doesn’t come off as a person you would like to know: opinionated, difficult, cold, strident, self-absorbed. I found her great thefts and militant operations poorly planned and executed. If it were not for her wealth and education she’d be of little interest. I felt for her parents who continued to love her despite all her hurtful behavior. She was a wannabe with means and will.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been eagerly awaiting this book since I read the NYT review. It has everything you need: Mount Holyoke alums, the Irish Republican Army, art heists, and references to “Killing Eve.” Very fun and informative!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what it claims to be. Did not finish. I made it more than halfway through but it was mostly about the Irish revolution. I might have continued if I’d been in the mood for that. It was interesting but not as advertised.

[Traci Timmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I have a keen interest in art theft and didn't realize that I'd be learning about so much more. I really appreciated how the author laid out Dugdale's life and demonstrated how the people one meets and the things one learns can drastically alter the course of their life. What a unique character Dugdale is--someone who takes up a cause, but isn't really supported or acknowledged by the soldiers of that cause, yet is completely unfazed and never relents. This book made me want to learn more about Dugdale and the causes she so vehemently championed.

[Jehree Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just wasn’t my cup of tea, was hard to hold my interest. I will say it was a good summary of her life and what she experienced.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

i gotta become cooler
(this was more a biography than an account of the vermeer heist tho)

[Caity · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGH… DNF!

I feel a little bad because Rose Dugdale sounds like a cool person, and who doesn’t love a good art heist?

However, the author wrote this book is such a boring way that I just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. It felt more like a school report than a novel on a revolutionary thief.

[Faith Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up…Super misleading title. Not really about art crime at all, but it was a very interesting history of mid 20th c. Northern Ireland.

[Elizabeth]

Not finding at all interesting. Was listening to on chapter a day but quit.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by the brightest and loveliest young woman I know. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot! ☺️