Book Review: “Art & Crime” (2022) by Stefan Koldenhoff & Tobias Timm, eng. ed.

August 6, 2024

By Anna Bashlakova

Stefan Koldenhoff and Tobias Timm’s book Kunst und Verbrechen came out in 2020. Translated and published in English in 2022 as “Art & Crime,” this work explores the hidden dark history of art thefts and the usage of art for fraud and manipulation. Stefan Koldenhoff is a German journalist who specializes in art markets, and he currently works in the Kulture Heute as a part of the editorial team. Tobias Timm is a specialist in cultural studies and history – he currently writes for Die Zeit’s feature pages where he continues to explore concepts of art crime and architecture. The authors previously released another body of work together, “Fake Paintings, Real Money” (2012). There latest collaboration ranges from events such as the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 to Donald Trump’s controversial usage of art in the 1980s during the establishment of Trump Tower. Through the chapters the authors uncover the variety of crimes committed using art and discuss the abundance of forgeries, ransoms, and usage of art in white-collar crimes such as money laundering. Chapters describe issues which hold modern-day relevance by connecting the increased misuse of art to concepts such as price increases and globalization. The target audience for the book varies however it will be of interest to – culture studying professors, legal professions, art historians, government agents, and general public with interest in the art field. There have been previously published book reviews by magazines such as: The Financial Times, The Washington Post, and the Library Journal.

Chapter 1: Stolen, Robbed, Kidnapped

This chapter sets the stage by presenting cases such as the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911, which was held ‘hostage’ for two years. Between which six replicas were sold to collectors under the appearance of the genuinely iconic painting, in truth being pre-drawn a year before the theft by Yves Chaudron. Furthermore, the chapter presents the concept of “art-napping” through the example of an attack on the Zurich Museum – for the moment, it was considered the most prominent art theft in Europe. Along, discussing the grand theft of the Golden coin, highlighting art being used for its value of raw materials.

Chapter 2: The Disappearance of the Original

This chapter focuses on measures art museums typically take to prevent crime, highlighting the security precautions, describing raids following the counterfeiting of art and the violation against art trading, explaining the attraction of counterfeiters to Russian Modernist art such as Malevich and the influence of Soviet Union due to the ban of “avant-garde” – resulting in destroyal or disappearance of influential pieces. Later, the process of counterfeiting is described: usage of canvases and materials to match the time and origin of the painting – and the self-stimulated paint cracking is caused by adding certain chemicals or heating the canvas. Overall, the chapter deals with historical thefts and high-profile cases, including Hitler’s works during the Nazi time and its role in counterfeit at auctions. Some of these are better know and others seem rather obscure like the counterfeit of Pablo Picasso’s works done in a small auctions and markets for rather cheap prices

Chapter 3: Cultural History Destroyed

Next chapter is dedicated to modern-day thefts and their use of modern technology, economy, politics, and increased globalization. As an example, the book uses the conflict in Iraq in 2003, where, due to political chaos, the illegal exchange of cultural goods forced the European Union to close imports and exports with both Iraq and Syria. Illegal cultural exchanges in countries such as Germany have also highlighted the low percentage of innocence in the art markets.

Chapter 4: When Dictators Collect

The main focus in this chapter, as the title suggests, is on international kleptocracy – autocrats and other leaders using power to steal a country’s resources – the chapter also describes the ethical downside regarding it. To demonstrate the authors employ the story of Vilma Hernandez – as a secretary for the Philippine diplomatic mission – with an officially low salary but a costly lifestyle – real estate and jewelry. As the reader learns, the funding for this lifestyle arose from the dictator’s – Ferdinand Marcos’s – family, who supposedly stole over $10 billion to buy luxuries such as art. By illegally selling famous art, such as the famous water lilies by Claud Monet – the dictator’s associates managed to fuel the illegal art market and kleptocracy. The incriminating invoices and kleptocracy Marcos fled the country and his office.

Chapter 5: The Fake President

This chapter explores how art’s misusage manifests among powerful and power-hungry, political figures such as the US 45th President, Donald Trump. The chapter includes a discussion about how under Trump supervision of a series of Art Deco friezes on Bonwit Teller Building in New York, a property of a museum – which were destroyed during the the construction of a Trump Tower. Although the book does not accuse Trump of a particular crime, it critiques his statements about the originality of his art, specifically those of French Impressionism. After reading this chapter, the reader might be convinced that additional charges against Trump might include his lousy taste and misusing art for personal satisfaction.

Chapter 6: Art Investment as Fraud

The next chapter critiques art advisers, specifically the usage of art as a financial investment rather than a means to passion. Using an example of Western Germany in the 70s – where corporations would use artworks as symbols of prestige. The individual discussed in the book is Helge Achenbach, who used tactics such as fake phone calls in the middle of meetings to create fake demand – allowing him to secure high profile art pieces for large corporations. He is described as a figure who bent ethical boundaries and involvement in corruption.

Chapter 7: Dirty Money and Clean Art

The concluding chapter focuses on the need to prevent crime in the market – by presenting charges in the market, both legal and ethical. Further, it explores the concepts of ‘dirty’ money and ‘clean art’ by presenting cases such as the Pandolfini auction and how it served as a means for money laundering. Classic pieces by artists such as Miró, Degas, Modigliani, and Matisse were also included. The artworks, although authentic, were labeled with low prices and low suspicion. In reality, the works were a part of a tax evasion scheme.

Conclusion

The book is a journalistic piece that teaches concepts and uncovers art-related crimes by presenting historical and legal cases and how they were orchestrated. The book often refers to primary sources such as court cases, information released at the time of the events – it also integrates secondary sources such as journalists’ analysis on the matter. The book also provides illustrations and questions at the end, in reference to the discussed topics. It is also well referenced with a variety of sources to support each discussion. The book gradually uncovers and underlines the importance of dealing with art crime and ways to prevent it in parallel to the modern day technology and safety regulations. Co-authors ​Koldenhoff and Timm call for action and transparency in the art market and reevaluation of the actual value of art. Amen.

About the Author:

Anna Bashlakova is an IB student in Geneva, Switzerland, who is interested in studying in the US for college. Anna is aiming to major in economics and perceive corporate law in the future.