The main thing I have to say is: the AUDACITY of this man!

In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel relates the real-life tale of Stephane Breitwieser, who stole thousands of works of art in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the help of his girlfriend Anne-Catherine. Breitwieser’s devotion to art, nearly a compulsion, led to him having an attic filled with priceless works pilfered from museums across Europe. But problems with his relationship, and an act of hubris, led to Breitwieser’s being caught finally, though that was just the start of his troubles.

I listened to the audiobook of this, which means I had to look up how to spell everyone’s names. However, the narrator Edoardo Ballerini did an excellent job.

I didn’t know anything about this particular art thief, so reading about this was quite interesting. Much of it is written as if it’s a story, providing a lot of what Breitweiser was thinking during the most significant events (likely due to the extensive interviews Finkel was granted with him). Sometimes I had to wonder how much was fabricated or exaggerated, but considering what Breitweiser is like, that might just be me being a little jaded.

I found the explanations of Breitweiser’s methods to be so interesting—it’s remarkable what a person can get away with when acting calm and confident, and having just a tiny bit of inside knowledge about how a place functions. Especially when security guards and cameras factor in. The descriptions of Breitweiser’s relationship with Anne-Catherine were also intriguing; it’s a complicated love story that’s compelling to watch even as it crumbles.

The fallout of Breitweiser’s capture is great too, even while I want to scream at his mother to tell us the truth. It’s kind of agonizing to hear what happened to some of the art, especially the paintings. Finkel highlights how far people will go for love, even if that takes them down a path that causes harm.

There was some other cool art history interspersed. For example, somehow I had never heard that Picasso was kind of involved in an art theft, nor that the Mona Lisa had once been stolen! You learn something new everyday as they say, and I learned several new things at once while reading this.

In the end, The Art Thief tells an interesting tale. It’s not the most remarkable nonfiction I’ve ever read, but seems well researched and is told in an accessible way. What an odd story, centered around a rather odd man. It’s fun trivia I know now for sure!

The Art Thief will be published on June 22nd, 2023!