How a Frenchman stole two billion dollars’ worth of art

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/26/the-art-thief-a-true-story-of-love-crime-and-a-dangerous-obsession-michael-finkel-book-review

by cocacola1 • 3 years ago

74 17 3 years ago

newyorker.com

appleflaxen• 3 years ago

All this is recounted, thrillingly, in “The Art Thief” (Knopf), by the journalist Michael Finkel. It is his third book, and also the third one to search for meaning—moral, aesthetic, existential—in criminal acts. This is an interest he comes by honestly, or, more precisely, dishonestly. In 2002, Finkel, who was then a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, plummeted from grace when the protagonist of an article he wrote, about allegations of child slavery on West African cocoa plantations, turned out to be a composite character. The Times fired him and soon afterward published a lengthy correction, which took his transgressions from private to public and took a sledgehammer to his reputation.

So a sensational story about a unique person being told by someone who was caught lying about a sensational story about a unique person?

dhosek• 3 years ago

Interestingly, one of his books is on my (ridiculously long) to-read list and his first book (about a murderer who assumed Finkel’s identity while on the run in Mexico) sounds interesting enough that if/when I get to the Finkel book on my list, if I like the writing, I’ll likely add the other books to my list.

slushh• 3 years ago

which took his transgressions from private to public

In which way were his transgressions private when the transgressing article was published?

jsnell2• 3 years ago

I suspect the question is not whether this is a true story, but how easily the fabrications will fall apart under inspection.

For example, the article claims $2 billion in about 300 items. That's an average value of $7 million. Is that even remotely plausible?

resolutebat• 3 years ago

Yes? There are countless paintings that have sold at auction for over $100 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintin...

36364949thrw• 3 years ago

Since you can stuff a 2 feet long urn in your sleeve as you somehow fishout a ticket for the museum guard, yes. Journalism is one profession, telling gripping yarns is another.

mitchbob• 3 years ago

https://archive.ph/jyQmv

paulpauper• 3 years ago

stealing art is pointless, with high risk and no reward. there is little or no resell value unless you can find a collector who will pay you for the piece. totally illiquid market too.

adrianN• 3 years ago

I'd assume that art thieves first find a collector who wants the piece and then steal it.

Scramblejams• 3 years ago

And yet people do it. Repeatedly. They don’t seem to find it pointless.

atourgates• 3 years ago

That’s part of what makes this story so interesting.

The thief did it because, basically, he wanted to. While mostly not selling hundreds of millions worth of art in his possession and living in poverty.

samwillis• 3 years ago

This was the perfect Sunday morning read.

This is what I love about HN at the weekend, it sort of slows down, there is less moving through it. Then you get these brilliant long reads, things that wouldn't land on the homepage during the week, perfect for coffee and sitting in the garden in the summer sunshine.

austin-cheney• 3 years ago

In my local town, a town it seems almost nobody in North America has heard of, is a small art museum containing among the top collections of European and oil paintings in North America. It was awesome to take an art history class in college and then go to the local museum and many of those paintings from the class textbooks are right there in person.

That museum has staff standing there watching to ensure patrons do not get too close to the art. Because the staff are continuously and actively watching the art work in person it would seem challenging to steal anything from there.

pnut• 3 years ago

Why bother calling attention to the town or the museum, and then not proceed to name them?

dangle1• 3 years ago

I'm thinking OP is referring to the Spencer? Definitely a jewel of the midwest hiding in a small town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Museum_of_Art

How a Frenchman stole two billion dollars’ worth of art

Related Stories