“He sees parallels between art thieves and terrorists – crimes that destabilize society, with psychological fallout.”
– Bernard Darties, French art thief investigator
Who is The Art Thief?
The art thief himself is Stephane Breitweiser, and by extension, the two women in his life: his girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus and his mother Mireille Stengel. Over the course of a decade, he completed a staggering number of thefts of precious art and antiquities from museums in no less than seven European countries, beginning in the early 1990’s.
Breitweiser did not live an extravagant lifestyle. He wasn’t rich or famous, and he had an insular social circle. He was not the focus of curiosity, envy or respect by his peers let alone the broader public. He lived a quiet and secretive life, mainly with his girlfriend, his mother, and his grandparents.
Themes Explored in “The Art Thief”
Is there such a thing as a victimless crime? Are all thefts equally immoral? Does (and should) a criminal’s motivation have any bearing on how criminals are punished? The author presents different perspectives for the reader to consider.
Breitweiser’s relationship with Anne-Catherine is fascinating. We learn about it mainly from Breitweiser himself, via interviews he has given with law enforcement and with journalists. Their attitudes were not always in sync, and there has been some doubt about how much responsibility she should bear for his (their?) thefts. Was she an accomplice? Was she coerced? Readers can ultimately decide for themselves if justice was served.
I enjoyed reading the detailed descriptions of the artwork stolen by Breitweiser and the methods used to procure them. Finkel provides details of late Flemish Renaissance paintings, ivory sculptures, silver chalices dating back to the 16th century, among so many others.
I also really enjoyed the comparisons of these crimes to other famous art thefts during the 20th Century: The Scream in Norway, the Mona Lisa in France, several works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (still unsolved), and many Picassos – apparently a favorite among art thieves.
“Museums didn’t have to leave all that stuff lying around.”
– Stephane Breitweiser’s grandmother
And Finally…
At the end of the book, the author provides A Note on the Reporting – insight into how he conducted his research, which definitely adds some valuable context around how I formed my opinions about The Art Thief’s crimes and the eventual consequences. Don’t skip it!
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