Stendhal syndrome: theft, passion and art’s captivating power

 

Interesting reviews of Michael Finkel's The Art Thief and Laura Cumming's Thunderclap in the always-excellent Financial Times:

" ... the nature of Breitwieser’s attachment to the artworks remains vague. Finkel describes him as a collector, which is like calling Bernard Madoff an accountant."

"It’s questionable whether works of art can make you ill — although Breitwieser’s thefts could be seen as a mania of sorts — but, as Cumming highlights, they can certainly be a balm."