The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Review by Jamie Quinn, Manager, Bibliographic Services and Collections
What makes prolific art thief Stéphane Breitwieser so captivating is his sociopathic love affair with art. Over eight years in the 90s, he managed to steal over 300 items worth more than a billion dollars from museums across Europe, expertly evading security, which he then displayed in his small home for pleasure only. Breitwieser is one of the only art thieves who did not resell works he stole; he felt his emotional attachment to a piece was deeper than that of the museum that owned it and felt no remorse at all.
Breitweiser’s usual modus operandi was to steal from inadequately protected museums during daylight hours, sometimes making multiple trips to loosen multiple screws on a display case with each visit, using his only tool – a Swiss Army knife. Finkel describes the heists in perfect detail thanks to extensive interviews with his subject.
Eventually Breitweiser slips up, resulting in his arrest while implicating his girlfriend and mother along the way. He talks his way out of it, as a sociopathic narcissist is wont to do. One particularly amusing aspect of the thefts is the juxtaposition of the life Breitwieser lives – deadbeat boyfriend, unemployed and living rent-free in an attic with his coddling mother – and the priceless works of art he purloined. Any and all effort in his life goes toward stealing.
Finkel waxes poetic about the meaning and ubiquity of art in a self-righteous way that can be taken with a grain of salt, but does successfully fill in the gaps of the story with interesting context related to art history while asking us to ponder the impact of art in a global and personal way. One charming anecdote describes a man being so stricken with the beauty of European architecture, he passes out momentarily.
Well-described heists create page-turning tension within a succinct 220 pages resulting in a thrilling, one-sitting read. Breitwieser awaits another trial this April, having been arrested again for theft in 2019.