Genre: Nonfiction - True Crime?

True Crime is certainly having a moment. A couple of teacher friends recommended Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief to me, and it takes true crime to an altogether different place for me. Finkel narrates the story of Stéphane Breitwieser’s theft of art worth an estimated $20 billion dollars. Along with his girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklass he stole from more than 200 museums and galleries in Europe. The thing is - he didn’t sell this art for money. He displayed it in his home - the attic of his mother’s house - to enjoy.

Finkel details many of Breitwieser's thefts in this account. I don’t know enough about art to fully appreciate what he is focusing on, but the means by which he acquires art seems impossible. He and Kleinklass have their process down to an art (pun intended). I can’t really believe that stealing priceless works of art is easy, but these two sure made it look that way. I suppose museums and galleries, largely underfunded and understaffed, couldn’t quite imagine the audacity of these two. They walk in. They walked out with art - again and again and again. Even more fascinating is the look into the mind of Breitwieser Finkel gives us - primarily because of his opportunity to interview him in prison. In spite of being in prison, Breittwieser is extraordinarily arrogant. He is arrogant about his taste in art, his capacity to steal it, his thoughts about the purpose of art. He lived for a very long time, a life I can’t imagine - surrounded by art in an attic - punctuated by trips to steal it. He was passionate about the quest. So probably it was this passion - dare I say obsession - that led to his being caught. He returned to a place where he had almost been stopped before. Arrogance. Kleinklass’s role and response to it is equally fascinating. Life just goes on for her. I guess she’ll have a story to tell her grandkids.

Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief took me into a world largely unfamiliar to me - and engaged me in its intimate look at the life of Stéphane Breitwieser. I could ask the questions about what is art for? Should it be confined in museums and galleries? For whom was it created? The thief absolutely inspires these thoughts. But honestly - I was most fascinated by the thief himself - his motives? His lack of remorse? What a character study! In terms of true crime where I started, I find myself grateful that his obsession was with art and not something more dangerous to humans. I recommend this as a fascinating read - different for me, but quite well done.