The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel
Stéphane Breitwieser is perhaps the most prolific art thief of all-time. He committed over 200 heists throughout Western Europe, purloining an art collection with an estimated value of $2 billion. Working both solo and in conjunction with his partner, Anne-Catherine, Breitwieser’s heists allowed him to amass a horde of art that he stored away in his small attic apartment.
While most thieves do it for profit, Breitwieser never profited financially from his heists, so his motives remain unclear. Did the allure and beauty of the art itself entice him to steal it? Did he steal to protect and preserve art for future generations? Or did he steal simply because he could? Author Michael Finkel seeks to answer these questions, among others, as his book, “The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and A Dangerous Obsession,” meticulously recounts the span of Breitwieser’s career as one of the world’s foremost art thieves.
Perhaps better than any fictional heist story could convey, Finkel’s history communicates the thrill and joy Breitwieser found in outsmarting locks, alarms, museum security and the police. The resulting high from pulling off the seemingly impossible became an addictive drive that Breitwieser still couldn’t shake. Finkel’s look into a life and mindset, so far removed from most people’s everyday existence, is thrilling and disturbing. Ultimately, it is a universally human story of how unchecked compulsions and obsessions will lead to inevitable downfall.
“The Art Thief” is a fast paced, detailed look at the rise and fall of an individual whose story truly fits the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. Finkel’s writing is compelling and fascinating, and should appeal to readers of true crime, thrillers, art history and anyone interested in an examination of the psyche of a compulsive thief. Visit wcls.org to find “The Art Thief” and other similarly themed stories.
“The Art Thief” is the February selection for the Books and Bites book group. Join Books and Bites at the Blaine Public Library at 1 p.m. Friday, February 21 for a time of community and lively conversation.
Jonathan Jakobitz is an avid reader and the branch manager of Blaine Public Library.
(Originally published in The Northern Light, Wednesday, February 5, 2025.)