The Art of Art Theft

Infamy is defined as the state of being well known or famous for a serious criminal act. It is commonly used to describe deeds that, while considered wrong, are often glorified by media, folklore, and the news. The words used to describe a work of art and the way the art is stolen is almost identical. Which brings up the question: can an art heist be considered a work of art in itself?
In Edward Dolnick’s book, The Rescue Artist, barely anyone had even heard of The Scream…at least until it was stolen from a museum. (Dolnick 27) As strange as it seems, the mere association of something with a famous criminal act can cause it to become famous itself. Take the Titanic for example, had it never crashed into the iceberg and sunk, it would just be known as “that stupid boat that nobody has ever heard of.” By extension, infamy is a huge influence on human history, art, culture, and media.
Throughout history, there have been many notable heists that are significant enough to be called infamous. An almost perfect example of one of these is known as “The Great Art Heist of the 20th Centu...