Book cover of Michael Finkel's, "The Art Thief."Who’s the most prolific art thief in history?

 

It’s probably Stéphane Breitwieser. The Frenchman nabbed over 300 items from 200 museums, with a bounty estimated at over $1.4 BILLION dollars.

 

And he didn’t do it way back when—all of these robberies happened in the 1990s and early 2000s. Like a more modern day Bonnie and Clyde, Stéphane pulled these heists often with the help of his girlfriend. His mother turned a blind eye for years and arguably enabled it by refusing to see what was in her own house (Breitwiesser and his girlfriend lived with his mother).

 

How they pulled it off, got away with it for so long, and what ended up happening to the art is the subject of Michael Finkel’s nonfiction 2023 account, The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession. We read it for book club last month.

 

Some of our main topics of conversation included:

  • How would this have been different if it were fiction?
  • Is Breitwiesser a sympathetic character?
  • What do you think motivated the girlfriend/mom to help him?
  • What do you make of what happened to the artwork?
  • Should museums be obligated to have better security in place if they’re housing priceless objects?
  • Why are the perpetrators of “white collar” crime often given lesser sentences?
  • Would anything stop him from doing it again?

 

Would love to hear what you thought of this book and if you’ve read it, would you recommend it for a book club? Why or why not?

 

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