February Meeting: The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

For our February selection, we’re reading The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel, a gripping true story that explores obsession, beauty, and the thin line between devotion and delusion. At its center is Stéphane Breitwieser, one of the most prolific art thieves in history, who stole hundreds of priceless works not for money, but for love of the art itself. Finkel approaches the story with restraint and curiosity, asking not just what happened, but why.

Through meticulous reporting and novelistic storytelling, Finkel traces Breitwieser’s crimes across Europe, revealing how museums, experts, and institutions repeatedly underestimated him. The book delves into psychology as much as crime, examining how aesthetic reverence can slide into entitlement, and how moral boundaries erode when someone believes they are a better steward of beauty than the world around them.

More than a heist narrative, The Art Thief raises unsettling questions about ownership, obsession, and the cost of unchecked passion. It challenges us to consider when love for something becomes destructive, and whether admiration alone can ever justify harm. Taut, unsettling, and deeply human, The Art Thief is sure to spark rich discussion about art, ethics, and the stories we tell ourselves to excuse what we want most.