Chapter 16

Summary

• The chapter describes a series of art crimes committed in France between 1996 and 1997, which were investigated by Bernard Darties.
• A repetitive pattern of crimes involving the theft of 16th-century artworks, often by a male-and-female team, has been identified.
• Based on these recurring patterns, Darties surmises that the suspects are likely a cultured, educated, possibly academic couple with a passion for art and a skill for thievery.
• Darties, a former anti-terrorist operative, draws parallels between art theft and terrorism both of which have destabilizing effects on society.
• One notable theft on Darties’s list was the theft of a 16th-century portrait of Madeleine de France painted by Corneille de Lyon, a court painter to the French King François I.
• This poignant portrait of the ailing princess was regarded as one of France’s most valuable artworks and was displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Blois.
• The artwork was stolen from the museum without trace or clue under the curious circumstance of still leaving its large outer frame in place.
• Given the sensitivity, Darties is forced to keep the investigation covert in order to avoid tipping off the criminals and damaging the chances of recovering the artworks.
• Despite lack of information about each other's efforts, detectives in both France and the neighboring Switzerland investigate every new art theft for possible links to these recurring crimes.
• Similar circumstances and suspect descriptions in multiple other art thefts, across different places, prompt another independent investigation by a division of the French regional police.
• The chapter ends on the note that with three agencies looking into the matter, it is only a matter of time before the couple committing these bold crimes are caught.