The thefts in the Iain Pears art heist series are often close to reality, the main characters are well portrayed, the descriptions of Rome excellent but of course the plots and denouements contrived.
If you haven’t read them, the main characters are: Jonathan Argyll, British art historian and dealer; Flavia di Stefano, a young investigator in the art theft squad in Rome, part of the Italian national police force; General Taddeo Bottando, Flavia’s mentor and boss in the art theft squad. So that’s the fictional set up but is there really an art theft squad in Rome and how does it operate?
I must digress. You may remember that in November 1978 publication of The Times ceased for almost a year as the then owner, the Canadian Thomson Group, wanted the print unions to adopt new technology and work rule changes. This meant journalists had time on their hands.
Peter Watson was one and he decided to write a book about the increase in international art theft. First, he found out the world’s best art detective was Rodolfo Siviero, an Italian diplomat heading a small section of the Italian Foreign Office dealing exclusively with the recovery of stolen art. His office was in Rome but he spent weekends at his house in Florence. Secondly, he went (with The Sunday Times Rome correspondent to interpret) to Florence to meet Siviero. He describes their meeting on a cold night in February 1979.
”The evening light was beginning to fade as I arrived at the house and was shown into a long, narrow sitting room with a huge log fire at one end. Siviero produced a fine malt whisky and some delicious Italian sugared nuts, then began to talk. Perhaps it was the whisky, perhaps it was the log fire adding to the mellowness of the evening, perhaps it was both. But Siviero talked non-stop for three hours that night and it was only towards the end of his monologue that the same thought occurred to us both.
. . . ‘I have a suggestion,’ Siviero said, sliding a sugared almond into his mouth. ‘Why not try to recover some stolen art yourself? Much more useful than writing a general book – and if you are successful it will make a better read anyway. Find yourself a dealer who will collaborate, who will agree to appear a shade dishonest. Put the word around, and who knows what you might find? I can help you get started, if you are interested.’”
Peter Watson was interested and his book is Double Dealer, The John Blake Conspiracy. If you are interested I will tell you a little of what transpired tomorrow.