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A review by heykellyjensen
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Breitwieser is one of the world's most notorious art thefts. But how did he do it? WHY did he do it? Finkel's book is a captivating look at what drives a person to commit a bloodless crime. It's a story that discusses not only Breitwieser's upbringing and his fascination with specific types of art, but it looks at how he got away with theft for so long. There's not really a clear explanation here, but Finkel offers up interesting theories, including that many speculate Breitwieser struggles with Stendhal syndrome or he has a specific arena of kleptomania.
This particular story hooked me from page one because in many ways–and Finkel says as much in the author's note–Breitwieser is similar to the American bibliomaniac Stephen Blumberg. These two (white) men were not stealing to sell their finds or make money on the black market. Instead, their theft happened because they wanted to keep these pretty, important works and believed themselves capable of doing such. Though there might not be blood at the end of the day with this kind of crime, the reality is that humanity loses when cultural artifacts go missing. These stories are a reminder of how much trust there is in the public when it comes to art and how that trust butts against the reality that there is often low security and that there are folks out there who will take advantage of the system.
It's a fast-paced and short read, perfect for those who like books like THE FEATHER THIEF or THE FALCON THIEF.
This particular story hooked me from page one because in many ways–and Finkel says as much in the author's note–Breitwieser is similar to the American bibliomaniac Stephen Blumberg. These two (white) men were not stealing to sell their finds or make money on the black market. Instead, their theft happened because they wanted to keep these pretty, important works and believed themselves capable of doing such. Though there might not be blood at the end of the day with this kind of crime, the reality is that humanity loses when cultural artifacts go missing. These stories are a reminder of how much trust there is in the public when it comes to art and how that trust butts against the reality that there is often low security and that there are folks out there who will take advantage of the system.
It's a fast-paced and short read, perfect for those who like books like THE FEATHER THIEF or THE FALCON THIEF.