The Art Thief

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

By: Michael Finkel

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Michael Finkel

Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Excellent captivating read

What an amazing story. It was exhilarating and sad all at the same time and told so well by the author. Now I’m down the rabbit hole of research on the subject of the book haha. Highly recommend.

Compelling Story That Reads Like A Novel

This was a truly compelling story and the author did a great job of pulling the listener along as if listening to a novel. The fact that it is a true story makes it even more compelling. Edoardo Ballerini’s narration performance was spot on and drew the listener in through every twist and turn. A great listen and highly recommend this title!

Fascinating story

More psychology than anything. Well researched, written and presented. I read books about how poorly art museums and private collections are protected. But even well secured museums, like the Gardner in Boston, still can be rubbed.

Good listen. Intriguing story

Worth the listen. Good mix of history, art, and crime with an easy to follow narrative

Obsessed, hopeless, wonderful humanity

The art thief and his thefts are as a climber always reaching for a more tenuous line than the obsessed , selfishness that this theft stems from. Tragic behavior is never pleasant to behold but is well presented . As a listener it is frustrating to understand so little wisdom has been gained from the deep loss so eloquently related by the author. Good tell, worth your attention.

interesting Read

This was an incredible story. It was a very sad ending regarding the fate of the stolen works.