Wednesday, May 28, 2008

"Probably best left to bored, art-loving fictional playboys"

One of the guest bloggers over at Matthew Yglesias's place has some fun (probably a little too much fun) with Smithsonian magazine's recent list of the ten "most incredible art heists of the modern era." She writes:

"Whatever the reason, big heists are always fun to think about after the fact. There's the object of the theft to consider .... There are the logistics: if one is going to steal the Gutenberg Bible, one might factor the fact that it weighs 70 pounds into the planning process. Finally, it's giddy and transgressive to think about. Art theft isn't a victimless crime, but it's less directly and immediately harmful than robbing a little old lady or committing murder or defrauding a pension fund. Prints are cool, but it's fun to imagine having the real thing tucked away to look at."