Epis: 354- the Art Thief, the remarkable story of art history's most prolific stealer, with author Michael Finkel

<p><a href="https://www.michaelfinkel.com/">Michael Finkel</a> discusses the remarkable story of <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Breitwieser">Stéphane Breitwieser</a>, the subject of his recent book, <a href= "https://www.michaelfinkel.com/books/the-art-thief/">The Art Thief</a>, including:</p> <p>The genesis of the book project, starting with a three-paragraph article, and eventually turning into a 10+ year-project; the style and methods of theft that Breitwieser and his partner, Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, put to work; Michael’s favorite Breitwieser crimes; his widely oscillating perception of Breitwieser, from a selfish brat to ‘the best art professor I’ve ever had;’  how Breitwieser protected both Anne-Catherine and his mother by lying on their behalf, but ultimately told the truth to authorities when it came to his own role in the crime sprees; Breitwieser’s Icarus-like trajectory playing out over several years as a result of his increasing addiction to art theft; a teaser of an ongoing plot point related to one of the Art Thief’s main characters, one which may very well be revealed in the soft cover release of the book; and how what Breitwieser and Christopher Knight, the protagonist of Finkel’s earlier book, <a href= "https://www.michaelfinkel.com/books/the-stranger-in-the-woods/"><em> The Stranger in the Woods</em></a>, have in common is that they’re extreme outliers who make their own rules.</p>