Hey Bookworm friends, it seems I’ve been reading a fair bit outside of my comfort zone lately, go me! Today’s review is for a nonfiction book, The Art Thief!
About The Art Thief
Author: Michael Finkel
Genre(s): Nonfiction, True Crime
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Format Read: Audiobook
Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini
Year Published: 2023
Cover Artist: Albrech Dürer
& François Boucher*
* The Bat by Albrech Dürer. This art piece is located in the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archeologie in Besancon, France (Top). Sleeping Shepherd by François Boucher. Stolen from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Chartres, France. Allegedly it was destroyed in a garbage disposal (Bottom).
Synopsis
The Art Thief is narrative nonfiction that centres around Stéphane Breitwieser, one of the most prolific and successful Art thieves. Between the years 1995-2001, he stole 239 artifacts from 172 European museums, but he didn’t make a single dollar from them. No, he does it for the sheer love of art. Rather, obsession. He thinks of his heists as liberating art from the stuffy confines of museums…and takes the spoils to his stuffy attic. There he lounges like a king amongst his many treasures. This is the story of how he amassed his hoard and how in one moment of overconfidence everything crumbled.
Pace: Fast
Tone: Informative, Adventurous
My Review
According to Finkel, Breitwieser didn’t grant a lot of interviews and The Art Thief is based on a series of exclusive interviews, the first he granted to an American Journalist. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Edoardo Ballerini was excellent! The narrative was written in such a compelling way; I was at the edge of my seat during the heists!
The audacity of the thefts being conducted mid-day is astounding! While his girlfriend, Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, monitored the movements of security guards and tourists, he studied the way each art piece was mounted. They took advantage of lulls in the traffic by being extremely adept at sleight of hand and looking inconspicuous and they never resorted to violence. Though it would seem that the heists were meticulously planned, they were actually performed in the heat of the moment. Both the author and the narrator did a fantastic job of conveying a heart-pounding excitement and anxiety in those moments.
“The painting seems to have a bubbly effect on both of them, aesthetic champagne”
Aside from the action, I was also utterly absorbed in the interpersonal drama between the players: the couple, and his mother. Kleinklaus was the voice of reason and Breitweiser was the impulsive dreamer thus they made a well-rounded stealing machine…until they no longer did. When all the thieving and lies inevitably (and spectacularly) caught up to them, it was fascinating to see how each person reacted. Finkel manages to make me feel empathy for everyone in different ways even though some of their choices are hard to wrap my head around.
As Breitweiser’s lofty ideals of stealing for beauty and art start falling by the wayside, I think it introduces an interesting psychological layer. Did he truly believe his romantic notions at first and then spiral out of control later? Or was he always pretending in order to present a more palatable reasoning for his addiction to stealing?
“Crime works best, not with overpowering force but when nobody knows it’s being committed.”
Since the topic of art is so visual, the one thing I missed was pictures of the art pieces! I recommend going to Michael Finkel’s website where he has a small gallery of some of the stolen art pieces that featured in the narrative. Additionally, the physical book has a frontispiece and a cool little map of all of the locations of the thefts which I think add a nice visual touch!
Final Thoughts on The Art Thief & Rating
Now, I’m not a true crime girlie but this kind, all heist, no violence, and certainly no murder… I think this might be my brand of true crime! I’m hoping to find more books about art crime now that I’ve gotten a taste for the subject matter with this short but addictive book.
Reading Challenge Prompts Fulfilled: Bat On Cover
| CAWPILE | Rating (0-10) |
|---|---|
| Credibility | 8 |
| Authenticity | 9 |
| Writing | 8 |
| Personal Impact | 9 |
| Intrigue | 9 |
| Logic | 9 |
| Enjoyment | 9 |
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Abortion
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse
Minor (Mention): Fire/Fire injury
Let’s chat in the comments!
Have you read this one? Or what is your favourite nonfiction subject to read about?
Love your review! This sounds like a great book and I’m going to have to check it out!
Thanks, Haze! 🙂 I recommend it especially since you’ve been reading True Crime, hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!
Wonderful review. I wasn’t sure what to make of it’s premise originally but it does sound pretty intriguing. It sounds like this feels more like a story but based on some pretty impossible sounding facts. The number of artwork stolen for instance 😲 I’m glad you had such a wonderful time with a book so far out of your comfort zone.
Yeah so I think part of why I liked it so much is that it’s a true story but it’s told in such a narrative way, like we’re listening to someone tell us a story of what this guy did! The # of artworks is shockingly high right!? They basically did that on weekends for years so it makes a bit more sense but still boggles the mind as to how they got away with it for so long!
That’s the kind of non fiction I’m most intrigued by, where it’s factual but presented like a story. Definitely. It’s mad that they got away with it so frequently. It’s also interesting that the artwork was kept rather than sold on. Such an unusual story to be true.
Yeah me too, I don’t care to really read the ones that are academic or dry lol. I think all of those details together is what made this story so fascinating!