The Art of the Steal: The Most Notorious Thefts of Masterpieces

Paintings like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” and Raphael’s “The Madonna of the Red” (the “Silent One”)—besides being recognized world masterpieces—share another trait: at some point, they were all in the hands of art thieves. Stealing such treasures can be considered a special kind of art. In these stories, the listener is drawn into the world of real criminal tales, where professional art thieves and audacious adventurers manage to outsmart museum security and complex alarm systems, replacing originals with copies. Fortunately, a large part of the stolen works is returned to their owners thanks to art carabinieri— a specialized branch of the police in Italy that deals exclusively with crimes related to art. This country faces such crimes every day. Journalist Fabio Isman, who for a long time covered significant events in Italy and wrote about art, is personally acquainted with many art carabinieri and has extensive knowledge of the most gripping cases from their practice.