This is the true story of Stephane Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus who stole over 300 pieces of art from museums and churches (mostly museums) all over Europe in the late 1990s - early 2000s. They stole for the beauty of the art, not because they wanted to try to sell it for money. They actually had very little money, living with Stephane's mother and living off the wages earned by Anne-Catherine and money given to Stephane by his mother and grandparents. This is a unique story for so many reasons. First of all, Stephane's theft of art was definitely a compulsion. Once he locked in on a piece of art, he would take any risk to get it. Secondly, Anne-Catherine was a willing participant in these thefts, usually being the "look out" for Stephane as he was figuring out how to get the art out of its box, frame, etc. Thirdly, Stephane's mother most definitely turned a blind eye to what he was doing. He and Anne-Catherine hauled these 300+ works of art into HER home and upstairs to their bedroom and the attic. She never said anything about it.
Although I personally am not over interested in art - or art museums - I still enjoyed reading how Stephane managed to take each of these pieces without being caught. There are so many small museums all over Europe that it was so easy for them to travel around taking items since these small museums don't have the money for security measures, including guards. Plus, art displayed in museums are for people to come in and enjoy looking at. Art is "for the people." Stephane didn't take the most valuable or famous pieces of art; he took what caught his interest. He loved things made out of silver or ivory, and oil-based paintings.
Eventually Stephane's compulsion got the best of him and he was caught. It also took the different counties involved to join forces to zero in on "the couple" seen in museums before things went missing. Years in fact. Once they figured it out, and arrested Stephane, he spent some time in prison while they put a case together. Anne-Catherine and Stephane's mother were also charged. The reactions of these three people, as well as Stephane's father who decided to re-enter Stephane's life at this point, was interesting and curious. Can you say deeply dysfunctional people? Anne-Catherine decided that silence was the best action; Stephane's mother went with denial and destruction; Stephane's father decided that his son was a bit too much for him after all; Stephane was simply a thief. An interesting character-study read.
Wendy's Rating: ****
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