Refined Art Thief: A Real Story of Obsession and Crimes for the Love of Beauty (Spanish Edition)

The Extraordinary and Captivating Case of Breitwieser: A Story of Obsession with Art and an Insatiable Desire to Possess Beauty at All Costs.

"Impressive. As gripping as a Highsmith novel, yet of course, one must constantly remember that it's all true. I loved it." - Maggie O'Farrell, author of Hamnet

Throughout history, there have been many art thieves, but none quite like Stéphane Breitwieser. He never stole for money; instead, he took only those pieces whose beauty captivated him, displaying these treasures in a few secret rooms in his home, where he could admire them at will. In addition to his keen artistic sensibility, Breitwieser possessed an innate talent for outwitting almost any security system, and he managed to perpetrate a staggering number of broad-daylight robberies without weapons or threats, while his girlfriend distracted the security guards.

However, this talent was coupled with a growing disregard for risk and an addictive need to set new challenges, ignoring his girlfriend's pleas for him to stop, until a final act of arrogance brought it all crashing down.

Over the course of nearly eight years, Breitwieser traveled across Europe, robbing museums and cathedrals, and amassing a collection of more than 300 objects - including paintings by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Antoine Watteau, and François Boucher - worth over $1.4 billion. In "The Art Thief," a genuine puzzle with almost unbelievable twists, Michael Finkel brilliantly explores the thrill of the heists that drove Breitwieser forward and masterfully narrates the story of this insatiable collector, for whom museums were nothing more than prisons where art was held captive.

The critics have said:

"Like its protagonist, this book oozes confidence, verve, and a great sense of timing." - The New Yorker

"A hypnotic psychological thriller about a real crime with the tension of a French police procedural, where the criminal has Maigret or Poirot hot on their heels. The ending is surprising. It's impossible to put down this reading." - The Wall Street Journal

"Fascinating. Art history and true crime fans will obsessively turn the pages of this suspenseful and elegantly written work to its impactful conclusion." - Library Journal

"Masterful. Finkel traces Breitwieser's fascinating exploits. Drawing on art theory and Breitwieser's psychological reports, the author speculates on his subject's addiction to beauty. A captivating journey." - Publishers Weekly

"Compelling. It interweaves gripping accounts of the robberies with a concise global history of art theft and psychologists' reflections on possible hidden motivations. Finkel skillfully keeps us oscillating between great sympathy and deep suspicion." - Air Mail

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