Comment by appleflaxen | Hacker News Reader

Comment by appleflaxen | Hacker News Reader

> All this is recounted, thrillingly, in “The Art Thief” (Knopf), by the journalist Michael Finkel. It is his third book, and also the third one to search for meaning—moral, aesthetic, existential—in criminal acts. This is an interest he comes by honestly, or, more precisely, dishonestly. In 2002, Finkel, who was then a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, plummeted from grace when the protagonist of an article he wrote, about allegations of child slavery on West African cocoa plantations, turned out to be a composite character. The Times fired him and soon afterward published a lengthy correction, which took his transgressions from private to public and took a sledgehammer to his reputation.

So a sensational story about a unique person being told by someone who was caught lying about a sensational story about a unique person?

Interestingly, one of his books is on my (ridiculously long) to-read list and his first book (about a murderer who assumed Finkel’s identity while on the run in Mexico) sounds interesting enough that if/when I get to the Finkel book on my list, if I like the writing, I’ll likely add the other books to my list.

I suspect the question is not whether this is a true story, but how easily the fabrications will fall apart under inspection.

For example, the article claims $2 billion in about 300 items. That's an average value of $7 million. Is that even remotely plausible?

Yes? There are countless paintings that have sold at auction for over $100 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintin...

Money laundering schemes artificially inflate the listed value of fine art, which is a curious way to assign value to something. For example:

https://sanctionscanner.com/blog/money-laundering-activities...

Sure, that is the list of the most expensive (and famous) works of art in the world. That kind of stuff getting stolen is actual news. The modus operandi here is supposed to be hitting small rural museums for whatever happens to catch the thief's fancy, and nobody even realizing that the thefts are happening. Sure, I'll buy that could happen if stealing minor pieces. But with pieces worth $10 million? Come on.

Since you can stuff a 2 feet long urn in your sleeve as you somehow fishout a ticket for the museum guard, yes. Journalism is one profession, telling gripping yarns is another.

>which took his transgressions from private to public

In which way were his transgressions private when the transgressing article was published?

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