Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists

Stealing Rembrandts has ratings and reviews. Lance said: In , Anthony Amore took on the second least desirable job in the museum world: secur.
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The pieces are generally recovered very quickly and if not a generation will go by before they are recovered. I was intrigued to read of the problem with etchings. It has never occurred to me but it makes sense, because an etching can be reprinted over and over again, a new print of a Rembrandt etching can easily be inserted into a collection to replace a stolen one. The difference can sometimes be seen easily but not necessarily. The four hundred year old hand-made paper is usually the give away. I appreciated these authors' interesting details about the art itself, its history and its importance along with the art crime.

A Boston art dealer, Robert C. Vose, visited a monastery in Hollywood Hills to view and appraise their collection. It was then loaned to the Museum of Fine Arts and was stolen in The account that made me groan aloud were the items, works of art by Rembrandt, Watteau, Boucher and Peter Brueghel, Greek pottery, medieval crossbow and a Roman bugle. By the time police raided the house there was virtually not one thing left!

Breitwieser spent two years in jail. And then there is the painting by Rembrandt, Saskia at Her Bath, stolen from a home never to return. I grew up in Massachusetts and was fascinated to read of the Worcester museum theft, thefts from the Museum of Fine Art and of course the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum theft. It is an eerie sight to see the vacant frame still hanging in the museum where The Storm on the Sea of Galilee and A Lady and Gentleman in Black used to hang. Having a compiled list at the back of the book is sobering.

This book was so interesting because of the historical details that accompanied the pieces of art that were stolen. Dec 15, Heather rated it really liked it Recommends it for: I have been a fan of art and art history since taking an art history class in high school. I have enjoyed reading novels based on the life of artists or works that they created, however this is the first book I have read about art heists.

Art theft is extremely common, much more so that I had thought — apparently enough art is stolen to warrant an FBI art crime team! Stealing Rembrandts looks at some of the major art heists that have involved at least one work by Rembrandt as one of the victims. Despite the short length of this book it was packed with information. I think the fact that the authors both have written for newspapers keep their writing concise and brimming with facts. Anthony Amore is the Director of Security for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, which was one of the sites of a notorious art theft that has yet to be solved.

Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists

Tom Mashberg has written numerous articles about the Gardner Museum theft as well. The knowledge that they have between them regarding art crime is extensive. I cannot believe just how easy it can be for art to be stolen. When I think of art theft I think in the dead of night with all sorts of devices to get past — laser beams, alarms, guards etc. But the reality is that museums and private homes are notoriously under secure and many art thefts happen during the daylight hours.

The statistics and methods of theft were absolutely shocking to me. Each chapter of the book focuses on a different art heist — with a look at theft from private homes as well as galleries, both here in the USA and abroad. Some of the thefts are quite ridiculous and others are so well thought out. The authors even interviewed a man who has been involved in numerous art thefts, including one that is chronicled in this book — so you really get into the mind of the thief.

Besides information on the actual thefts you get background on Rembrandt himself, his times, various of his works that were stolen, as well as other aspects of art history. It was a quick, entertaining, and enlightening peek into the world of art theft. This review was previously posted The Maiden's Court. Was received from the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for an honest review. Nov 18, Arianna rated it liked it.

Despite some awful editing I feel like the editor just put the final draft through MS Word, and didn't actually read it! However, I understand now why the authors chose not to devote much book to the Gardner Museum fiasco, since there really isn't much of a story to tell until someday! Otherwise, thoug Despite some awful editing I feel like the editor just put the final draft through MS Word, and didn't actually read it!

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Otherwise, though, the book was pretty fascinating. I learned so much about how things are stolen and how so much artwork has been lucky enough to be returned to the proper caretaking hands. I also LOVED how the book interspersed their heist stories with tidbits about how Rembrandt lived and drew some pretty great parallels; I felt like I was able to pick up so much and I really appreciate the great master now, more than I ever did before.

Another review also reminded me of this: I felt that pieces of the book did all too often meld in together; I would be hard-pressed to distinguish one heist from another; even while reading the book, I would get confused and forget which one I was reading about! And sometimes I felt like the book could have used a cold reader, someone unfamiliar with the work like me , because often the authors would reference things which I felt I had already forgotten, and they should have craftily reminded me who so-and-so was.

That is why I found myself at times getting frustrated with an otherwise good book and great premise and hence the 3 stars , and also why sometimes it felt like I was slogging through even such a short book. Luckily I didn't feel like that often, though. View all 6 comments.

Apr 11, Betsy rated it liked it Shelves: The best thing about Stealing Rembrandts was that I learned quite a bit about Rembrandt and developed an appreciation for his work. I read this book with a phone or computer next to me - which is extremely unusual for me - because I looked up almost every painting that was mentioned. The authors are well-qualified did their research well. Anthony Amore worked as Security Director for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum well after the famous theft , and Tom Mashberg is a Boston reporter who The best thing about Stealing Rembrandts was that I learned quite a bit about Rembrandt and developed an appreciation for his work.

Anthony Amore worked as Security Director for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum well after the famous theft , and Tom Mashberg is a Boston reporter who had been researching art crime for about 15 years when the book was published. Some of the individual thefts make interesting, often even funny, stories.

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But overall, Stealing Rembrandts is a rather dry recounting of art crimes over the years, one heist per chapter. The best part of their research was the interviews with people involved in the crimes. They really brought the stories to life. I wish there had been more of this in the book.

Stealing Rembrants gives an interesting overview of the art theft world, but doesn't really go into into the big issues. The authors often bring up the big question of how do you make art available to everyone while at the the same time protecting it and keeping it safe. But they never really seem to address it in any depth or suggest any solutions. As to why Rembrandts, I never quite got the answer to that, either, other than that there are a lot of them.

Jul 16, Grady rated it it was amazing. Art and Crime and Intrigue Anthony M Amore and Tom Mashberg have compiled a history of art theft that is as entertaining as it is astonishing. Amore is the security director for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston - the location where 13 art works including two Rembrandt paintings and an etching caused an uproar in Mashberg is the investigative reporter and Sunday editor of the Boston Herald.

These two gentlemen have as much intelligent information about the psychology and perpetr Art and Crime and Intrigue Anthony M Amore and Tom Mashberg have compiled a history of art theft that is as entertaining as it is astonishing. These two gentlemen have as much intelligent information about the psychology and perpetration of art heists as anyone writing today and much of that information is form first hand experience.

It is well documented and full of theory and fact that provides some of the more entertaining reading in art books available today. The In many ways this is a crime thriller rather than a documentation of thefts, but that is what makes the book not only informative but also an exciting read. The complexities and the faux pas of art theft are mind-boggling, and Amore and Mashberg play it to the hilt!

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Jul 11, Melanie Linn rated it liked it Shelves: While it is a fascinating look into the inner workings of art crime and into the tragedy of Old Master thefts , it does become a bit repetitive. The most engaging portion of the book is the chapter that debunks the myth of a greedy "Dr.

No" character trying to hoard these priceless works for him or herself. After that, it is quite a formulaic rendering of Rembra "Stealing Rembrandts" is an informative book, as one would expect from a tome co-written by a journalist and a museum security expert. After that, it is quite a formulaic rendering of Rembrandt thefts, and after a while, the reader is hard-pressed to remember the thieves as distinct individuals or the paintings as unique objects the latter being no fault of the authors - they practically all have the same names!

And a note to the book designer and publisher: The black-and-white plates furnished in the hardcover edition do no justice to the reader, who must resort to Google to get a good look at the lauded chiaroscuro of some of the magnificent works mentioned in the book. If you're going black-and-white, why not intersperse the images with the text? It would make for a much more enjoyable reading experience that way.

Jun 23, Sarah rated it liked it Shelves: I got an advance reader's copy of this at work. While it was an illuminating look at a side of the art world that I was previously unfamiliar with, there were almost TOO many instances of theft examined in the book. Everything got a bit repetitive and started running together. And while the book claimed to be primarily a response to the Isabella Gardner Museum robbery, which remains unsolved, very little of the book dealt with that specific case. I did enjoy reading about the two thieves th I got an advance reader's copy of this at work.

I did enjoy reading about the two thieves that the authors personally interviewed while researching for this book.

Anthony Amore - Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists

Their accounts broke up what at times became no more than a laundry list of one Rembrandt related crime after another. The author also had a tendency to overstate his case: Yes, it's difficult to prevent theft in museums and private institutions while still allowing to observe and appreciate the art.

Yes, most criminals don't have a plan for how to profit from their ill gotten gains, which are too famous to sell. I get it already. I thought this slim little book would prove a quick read, but honestly the author was stretching to fill all pages. Stealing works of art has been happening since man started expressing himself in forms of art.

This book details some of the most famous of those thefts and notorious art thieves in the past century. Amore is a security expert and currently head of security at the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston. Mashberg is a veteran investigative reporter. Drawing on their vast experience they wr Stealing works of art has been happening since man started expressing himself in forms of art. Drawing on their vast experience they write an informative and interesting book on art theft. I particularly enjoyed the writing style and progression of this book.

As they discuss the theft of specific Rembrandt works the authors give the reader details about Rembrandt himself, his art and offer insight into the thieves. When possible they include interviews with the thieves themselves. It makes for fascinating reading.

As much as I enjoyed the exhibit, I might have had more appreciation for some of the nuance with the background information offered in this book. Oct 12, Vivian rated it liked it. While I have a passing interest in art history, this book more than fulfilled it, providing well researched background information on the pieces covered in this book. I would say that aspect is a little too well done. Sometimes the background information would drag on bog down the stories of the heists. As a consequence, it did take me a lot longer than I had wished to finish this book. I do like that there are pictures of the paintings as well as other relevant objects included in the book, beca While I have a passing interest in art history, this book more than fulfilled it, providing well researched background information on the pieces covered in this book.

I do like that there are pictures of the paintings as well as other relevant objects included in the book, because by the descriptions, I was very tempted to look up these masterful paintings that have 'captured the masses. Read reviews that mention rembrandt theft thefts crime museum paintings stolen amore thieves security mashberg authors gardner heist boston anthony chapter artist museums fascinating. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Have you ever wondered how and why artwork is stolen, particularly masterpieces by the one and only Rembrandt, one of the most famous artists of all time?

If so, this book is a must read. It's a fascinating, well-written book packed with factual accounts of famous art heists, particularly the thefts of works by Rembrandt. No detail is overlooked; the stories of the heists are recounted in great detail, making for an engrossing read. The authors, Anthony Amore and Tom Mashburg, make for a great writing team, and both are well-qualified to write a book on art theft.

Amore is the director of security for the outstanding Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, site of the largest art theft in history, and Mashberg has a background in news reporting and was also famously involved in a potential recovery plot for the stolen Gardner artwork. As stated by the authors in the introduction of the book, the goal of the book is twofold: The book succeeds on both accounts. In this book, you'll read about "The Takeaway Rembrandt", an oil painting by the Dutch master, aptly named because it has been pilfered and recovered a record 4 times.

You'll read about "The Stockholm Blitz", a brazen theft of a Rembrandt from a museum in Sweden that involved speed boats, machine guns, and car fires, and its eventual recovery 5 years later through an undercover sting operation. The stories of art theft and recovery can be riveting, and even sometimes amusing, as the book explains. Rembrandt was a prolific artist, creating thousands of paintings, etchings, and drawings during his life.

Great fine arts museums in cities around the world such as Stockholm, Boston, Worcester, Montreal, Toronto, Cincinnati, and San Francisco have had their Rembrandts stolen. Art theft is rampant and difficult to combat and causes much disappointment and frustration, since it robs the general public of great cultural works, masterpieces which we may never see again. But thankfully, much stolen art is indeed recovered and returned to its proper owner.

These stories give us hope for the future that we will see other famous masterpieces recovered. Stealing Rembrandts by Anthony M. He was dynamite and his book reads like a mystery novel. It covers many works stolen but focuses on the Gardner Museum Heist of The book also covers a Rembrandt stolen at the Worcester Museum of Art in Massachusetts and other works stolen internationally. Each chapter reads like a mystery novel and comes from real life experiences.

I could not put the book down and have bought several copies to give away to friends. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. If you love art, you will love this book!! Anthony Amore drives home how complex and varied art theft is. And how this heinous crime strikes so deeply by depriving us of the intimate pleasure and uniqueness stolen art treasures gave us.

Read this book, and keep your eyes out and your ears open as many art theft crimes are solved because someone, anyone, somewhere, anywhere, identifies a key clue that leads to their recovery I was so shocked and disheartened when I learned of the art theft in As a tour guide I brought many visitors to The Gardner I have stood before the lost Rembrandts many times. This book provided me with interesting insights as to the motives and techniques used by art thieves. ISurprisingly, I have never read anything connected to the actual heist outside of news coverage at the time.

I do however wonder about those paintings often. I now know, that like so many things in our society the real motive is not in these cases, art appreciation but for greed and power. There is a lot of repetition which actually helped me to recall facts from earlier chapters The author shares fascinating details about real art heists that keep his story moving at a fast pace.

I couldn't wait for the next revelation. I will recommend this book to any Bostonian, my friends connected in any way to the arts or to anyone who likes a good read ,especially non fiction. I really enjoyed it. Ignore the other critiques about editing. Amore tells these complicated stories in an engaging way, and some of these thefts are breathtaking in audacity. Book is well worth reading and forms a fine contrast to Amore's other book on art forgery, The Art of the Con. Buy both books if you're interested art collecting or art crime.

Amore's knows whereof he speaks!! The book was entertaining and gave a good overview of those who have stolen from Rembrandt from his lifetime to today. Like others, I missed seeing photographs of the most talked-about paintings, or side-by-side comparisons of real work and the fakes. In a sense, the book could be summed up in a couple of sentences. Rembrandt was a prolific artist for whose work thieves have pined since Rembrandt was alive. Unfortunately, most thefts are committted by third-rate crooks who have neither the understanding or skill to sell their work.

Hence, many of those lovely paintings are lost foreever to the garbage dump, the river, or covered in mold in somebody's attic. Amore and award-winning investigative reporter Tom Mashberg reveal the actors behind the major Rembrandt heists in the last century.


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  6. Stealing Rembrandts : the untold stories of notorious art heists in SearchWorks catalog?
  7. Stealing Rembrandts : the untold stories of notorious art heists.

Through thefts around the world - from Stockholm to Boston, Worcester to Ohio - the authors track daring entries and escapes from the world's most renowned museums. There are robbers who coolly walk off with multimillion dollar paintings; self-styled art experts who fall in love with the Dutch master and desire to own his art atall costs; and international criminal masterminds who don't hesitate to resort to violence.

They also show how museums are thwarted in their ability to pursue the thieves - even going so far as to conduct investigations on their own, far away from the maddening crowd of police intervention, sparing no expense to save the priceless masterpieces. Stealing Rembrandts is an exhilarating, one-of-a-kind look at the black market of art theft, and how it compromises some of the greatest treasures the world has ever known.

He serves as trustee of the Association for Research into Crimes against Art and lectures widely on art crime.


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    • Tom Mashberg is an award-winning investigative reporter and the former Sunday Editor for the Boston Herald. Art history meets C.

    Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony M. Amore

    Amore and Mashberg narrate heists ranging from noir to farce, weaving in details about the historical relevance of each work and background on the artist. Some thieves prove more cunning than others, but the star is Myles Connor, the mastermind behind a daring lift from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts that is reminiscent of a Hollywood movie.

    Even on paper, Connor comes off so beguiling and debonair that his chapter outshines the occasionally lackluster companion pieces.

    However, these cases provide insight into the psychology and even the philosophy of art thieves. They also provoke questions about the purpose of such thefts given that it is nearly impossible to re-sell world famous pieces of art. Overall, the authors convey the importance of Rembrandt's works as historical and cultural touchstones and argue that art theft is a "crime against all of us.