The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession

Breitwieser wants to display his stolen art in bespoke frames. He approaches framer Christian Meichler, introducing himself as the grandson of painter Robert Breitwieser. Breitwieser claims he acquires his pictures at auction. The two men form a friendship based on their shared passion for Renaissance and early Baroque art. Breitwieser is happy with Meichler’s work but, upon going to fetch his second framed picture, finds it displayed in the window of the framing store. From then on, Breitwieser provides only the dimensions of the paintings to Meichler, claiming he is afraid of damaging them in transit.

Meichler agreed to be interviewed by Finkel as one of the few people who knew Breitwieser on a personal level. The framer did not guess the paintings were stolen but sensed his friend was dangerously obsessed with art.

Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine attend a fine art fair in the Netherlands. Security is high at the event, and, at one point, a thief is chased and apprehended. Breitwieser takes advantage of the distraction by taking a still-life painting on copper by Jan van Kessel the Elder. The couple crosses the French border with the stolen painting in the car but are not stopped. Breitwieser starts to add his own provenance stickers to the back of stolen paintings.