To surround oneself with and gorge on its beauty. That is how pretty much Michael Finkel describes Stéphane Breitwieser in his new book: The Art Thief.
The most prolific art thief in the history of mankind who would sweep away an artwork worth $2 billion in worth.
On a busy noon in a typical European city of Belgium or France, smoothly cladded in long jackets and accompanied by his girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, the French illegal art collector strolls down into a European museum. At first, they would resemble nothing short of a typical European couple on a date.
They would observe the art pieces, contemplate it, moon over it, and then turn their attention to another art piece.
The afternoon timing is perfect for such an ambitious rendezvous. Not because it’s sunny but because it’s usually lunchtime. The security guards often opt for their meals while leaving the art pieces in the hands of their undescribed fate, something Stephen Brietwieser covers.
Stéphane Breitwieser would carry nothing but a Swiss army knife as his only instrument, would sneak the art piece off from its placed position, store it in his or his girlfriend’s jacket, and walk away like nothing ever happened.
Sometimes the couple would savor lunch right after concluding their silent heist in that same museum. In the book, the main subject is once found to be squabbling about a parking ticket with an officer while returning from his pursuit.
And that’s how the then 25 years old Stephane ended up with stolen art pieces worth $2 billion. Simple by waltzing in places, removing the items, and silently exciting.
The robberies have no violence, no drama, no Ocean Eleven-like setup, and yet, it manages to capture an unusual amount of fascination.
What we called one of the biggest crime sprees is what the art stealer declares a noble pursuit of liberating art from the clutches of these strictly constructed edifices hosting as museums, galleries, and even auction houses.
Ivory carvings, chalices, goblets, oil paintings, and important political items dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries are the loot that was confiscated from the house of Stephane Brietwieser’s mother.
It was located somewhere in the suburbs of Eastern France, hidden in an attic, these precious collectibles were recovered when discovered and positioned in the corner of the room simply for mindful and satisfying observation by the stealer and his partner.
A nearby bed was noticed where the couple would lie down and observe their stolen riches.
Stephane’s unconditional urge to steal art was triggered by his obsession with those paintings and artifacts. It was not motivated by fame or financial returns. While in the city, he was reported to be employed as a waiter.
The French thief was a sheer aesthete and simply wanted to have all the beauty of the world to himself. He used to despise this arrangement of art display and business, where only the elites get to have it while the local populace struggled to have a decent viewing angle.
To him, art can’t be owned, it can only be enjoyed, by everyone, but especially by that one pure lover, the one who could go mad after it. Stephane BrietWieser considers himself that one true lover.
Stéphane Breitwieser has been arrested on multiple occasions, one too many to keep count of. His mother Mireille Breitwieser came to know of what his son had got himself into, she attempted to destroy many of the stored artifacts and paintings. jewelry, pottery, and vases, many of which were thrown down in the Rhone-Rhine canal and burned paintings in the nearby forest.
This whole dramatic life of the greatest art thief of all time had been glorified and blended in perfectly into the crime mystery genre of writing. A movie could also be on the cards based on the adventures of this art thief.
In Michael Finkel’s book, even though the book traces a multitude of escapades and leaves a less complicated conclusion. But the art thief himself has been elevated to a Robin Hood like figure among those who read about him. He is likely to garner even more eyeballs through this newly released book.
The author criticized him for being the reason museums would introduce more stringent arrangements in an art display and that the public would be facing challenges in viewing art.
To the law, it was illegal, to the law broker, it was a journey of enlightenment. To the ones reading or brushing past content depicting his spree, it’s riveting and entertaining.
