Vickie Martin

I find the world of stolen art and forgeries fascinating.  The above Vermeer was stolen from the Gardner Museum – considered by many to be the greatest unsolved art heist in history.  Theft of art is thought to be the third largest crime on the planet, after drugs and arms.

Here is a list of books I thoroughly enjoyed which all about forgery or theft.

The Forgery of Venus – this fictional book was the book that started my fascination with forgery and theft.  It is a wild ride, dealing with drugs, forgery, time travel and the Nazi’s plunder.

The Vanished Smile, The Mysterious Theft of the Mona Lisa – yes, this iconic painting was stolen from the Louvre, with Picasso actually being questioned.

Priceless, How I Went Undercover To Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures – written by former FBI agency Robert Wittman, who began the agencies Art Crime Team.

Provenance, How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art – so interesting about how a con man created provenance for forged pieces of art!  A good read about art history too.

The Gardner Heist, the True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft – another good art history read, but also an nail biting look at a long investigation that travels the globe, even suspecting the IRA at one time.

Stealing Rembrants, the Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists  – a great ride across the planet investigating the underworld of art theft.

The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece – starts with the theft of The Scream by Munch. 

Here is an article about the most recent heist in Rotterdam last week.