The Art Thief

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 Anne-Cathrine who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.

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.

What has happened? Who will be punished? Breitweiser? Anne-Cathrine? Read just till the end of chapter 35 (« The gash on his hand requires stiches and their relaionship finally dies, and he’s left with a permanent scar. »). Together we will comment and sort out different possible outcomes.

This is the true story of the world’s most prolific art thief, who accumulated a collection worth almost £ 1 billion.

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