The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession
Obsession: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling.
I belong to a mens book club. It's a great group. We typically meet every several months, either at a member's home or at a local restaurant. The members are all serious readers, and bring broad interests to the discussions. Non-fiction books are the most popular category, but nothing is really off-limits. Suggested books are varied and eclectic, both fiction and non-fiction, although mysteries and sci-fi generally do not make the cut.
We go through a round of suggestions that typically result in (2) choices for the next meeting. The latest recommendations included "The Age of Entitlement", "American Ramble", "The Art Thief", "Dog Years", "Flashman", "Klan War", "Elon Musk", and "Opening Skinner's Box". I decided on "The Art ThIef", mainly because Bonnie & I have been visiting a variety of art museums recently,
Most of us are unable to indulge an obsession. Fear, guilt, a lack of resources, unwilling to cross a line, or not having an experience that creates an intense feeling of fixation on an object or person. Yet, there are some of us who do encounter an obsession and then act upon it. "The Art Thief" is the story of such an individual.
The main character is a young Frenchman who, along with his girlfriend, begins to indulge and satisfy his obsession for art. His targets are very specific periods and styles of European artworks. The thefts occur throughout Western Europe, as he targets small museums without the staff and security of major museums. All of the steals are done during the day, and include objects and paintings that can be concealed in a backpack or under a topcoat. It is from this perspective that "The Art Thief" describes 15-year timeframe of theft and accumulation of art that ultimately totals $2 billion
Early in the book, there is a description of Stendhal syndrome. Apparently, Stendhal, a 19th century French writer, was engulfed with emotion while viewing frescos in a chapel, overcome with "celestial sensations", "impassioned sensuality" and "the profoundest experience of ecstasy". A psychiatrist in the 1970's studied a number of related cases, specifically with reactions to art, and coined the term, Stendhal Syndrome. It is not a recognized medical condition, but there was/are sufficient anecdotes to acknowledge that some individuals exhibit these reactions.
Unlike the typical art theft, none of the stolen art is sold. The main character refines the art of the steal, until arrogance is his downfall. You can't make this stuff up. "The Art Thief" is a classic narrative that life is often stranger than fiction.
“Life is always going to be stranger than fiction, because fiction has to be convincing, and life doesn't.”
―Neil Gaiman
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