The Art Thief

A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession

By: Michael Finkel

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Michael Finkel

One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century: the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser.

In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them.

For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.

In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser’s strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, Breitwieser never stole for money. Instead, he displayed all his treasures in a pair of secret rooms where he could admire them to his heart’s content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to circumvent practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtaking number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict’s need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to stop—until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.

This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.

Cover images: (top) Bat by Albrecht Dürer. Bridgeman Images; (bottom) The Sleeping Shepherd (detail) by François Boucher © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY

©2023 Michael Finkel (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“It is romantic to liken art thieves to Pierce Brosnan’s glamorous character in The Thomas Crown Affair. The reality is far less charming. Case in point: Stéphane Breitwieser, one of the most successful art thieves of all time. From roughly 1994 to 2001, Breitwieser executed more than 200 heists. The book’s first lesson? Europe has a lot of understaffed historic buildings. The second? Even a kleptomaniac with delusions of grandeur can be made mildly sympathetic in the hands of a skilled writer.” —Bloomberg

“This is an absorbing and astonishing portrait of a fascinating and complicated character—a riveting story of obsession and misplaced brilliance.” —Kirk Wallace Johnson, best-selling author of The Feather Thief and The Fishermen and the Dragon

“The Art Thief, like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing. It is propelled by suspense and surprises....This ultra-lucrative, odds-defying crime streak is wonderfully narrated by Finkel, in a tale whose trajectory is less rise and fall than crazy and crazier....Part of what makes Finkel’s book so much fun is that, without exception, [Breitwieser’s] strategies are insane." —Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker

Disappointing Ending

Narration is fast and good. First half of book better than second half. Description of stolen works in attic is superb. Punishment amazingly small for the crimes of stolen art and possible destruction. Sad ending for the Art Thief

Well researched

Clearly a labor of love for the author. I have read other books by him, and he seems to be able to understand his subject, which provides a very enjoyable read.

Fascinating story that I was completely unaware of.

Amazing tale of obsession and the ultimate downfall of the obsessed. Not sure how the girlfriend and mother got by with so little punishment.

Amazing evil

This was a great description of a master thief, his lying girlfriend and his repulsive destructive mother. One goes from admiration to disgust to anger. The clipped, direct style is perfect for the topic.

Perfect modern storytelling

Captivating and phenomenal. I felt as if I were the main character. I could picture myself in the attic.

True story of a man obsessed with stealing beautiful works of art for his own pleasure!

The authors knowledge of the true story is compelling and beautifully written. One can easily visualize just what is happening in the moment as the story progresses. I felt at times as though I was the proverbial “fly on the wall” watching the story unfold in real time! I enjoyed every word placed so elegantly on each page! So many twists and turns!
I couldn’t stop listening! Having the story read to me on Audible was an extraordinary pleasure!

Wild tale, but it’s true!

I like how the story is told. The timeline and thought process as the events unfold. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it really happened. The narrator is good, but his voice is a little monotone. All in all a well told story about a real art thief.

A well told story.

I wish I had listened to this book curled up, in a large chair in front of a fire. Such an intriguing story. Well written, and the perfect reader was chosen to share this story with us.

An Audible PageTurner!

If you have a passion for art history, you will eagerly anticipate each new chapter. This is story telling that reminds me of the style of Truman Capote.

Audacity

Nothing love the story and the narrative Want to read more about art thieves in 18tb century. Done with my submission