Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Arthur Brand is the world’s best-known art detective. For 20 years, he has assisted governments, museums, private individuals, and police in recovering stolen art, with a total value of approximately €450 million. Some of the most high-profile art thefts of recent years were solved by him—from Picassos to Van Goghs, from Hitler’s Horses to the Blood of Christ. Brand also tracks down WWII-looted art and has recovered stolen works from the Louvre and the collection of the Dutch royal family. His latest book, Hitler’s Horses, has now been translated into 17 languages and is being adapted into a film. He also gives lectures, advises screenwriters on films about art theft, and hosts his own series on Dutch television. Additionally, he advises art collectors on the acquisition and sale of artworks. Brand works closely with police forces both in the Netherlands and abroad, including the Dutch National Unit, Germany’s BKA, and Spain’s Guardia Civil. He maintains an extensive network of tipsters and informants who lead him to stolen art. His greatest compliment came from Dan Brown, who called him the “real-life Robert Langdon.”