Chapter 3

Summary

• Stéphane Breitwieser claims to be an art collector rather than an art thief; though he takes stolen paintings, he does it out of love for art and does so without damaging the pieces. He scorns other art thieves that destroy or mishandle the artworks they steal.
• An example of the sort of theft he despises involved two men posing as police officers who stole from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. They not only took priceless artwork, but also damaged them irreparably, which is something Breitwieser finds sacrilegious.
• He claims to steal for the sake of art itself, being motivated by the aesthetics of the pieces. He takes meticulous care of the stolen pieces, implying he keeps them in better condition than they were in the museums.
• Breitwieser criticizes museum environments as not being conducive to truly appreciating art. He suggests that by 'liberating' the artwork, he allows for a more intimate and personal experience with the pieces.
• The book also touches on Breitwieser's accomplice, Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus. Although she does not agree with Breitwieser's romanticized view of their thefts, she aids him nevertheless.
• Despite owning stolen art pieces worth potentially millions, the couple lives in poverty. Breitwieser lives with his mother and Anne-Catherine works as a nurse assistant. He never considered selling the artwork for money, demonstrating his belief in the purity of his actions.