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

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to confinement.

Breitwieser starts stealing in Switzerland again. On one expedition, he returns to Gruyères Castle, stealing a 10-foot-long 17th-century tapestry. He stuffs the exhibit in a duffel bag and throws it out of the castle window. Next, he visits a church in Alsace, taking his girlfriend’s more spacious car to steal a four-foot-tall statue of the Virgin Mary. Breitwieser uses a wrench to unbolt it and slowly drags it out of the church.

In the attic, there is no longer room for the large items Breitwieser acquires. The tapestry is stashed under the bed, and the Virgin Mary stands in a corner covered by other stolen items. When the wood background of some of the oil paintings begins to warp, Breitwieser superglues them back together. Accidental breakages occur in the increasingly cramped space, forcing him to throw some broken artworks away.

In November 2001, Breitwieser boasts about stealing a bugle from a Swiss museum without wearing gloves. Realizing he has been breaking her rules, Anne-Catherine is furious and insists they must go to the Richard Wagner Museum and wipe his prints from the crime scene. Breitwieser drives to the Swiss museum and waits outside while Anne-Catherine goes in.