Breitwieser began his theft career stealing from museums, favoring items that attracted him from the medieval era to the onset of modernism.
Together with Anne-Catherine, they would identify elements that attracted them to specific works, with Breitwieser's preference being northern European works from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The chapter discusses the inexplicable nature of taste for art, presenting it as a product of humanity overcoming natural selection. Art potentially has Darwinian basis as a method to attract a mate. It's present in every culture and is noted as a signal of human freedom and the result of leisure time.
The most preferred art often contains landscapes including trees, water, and animals. Cultural background and personal essence contribute towards what attracts us to certain pieces of art.
In 2011, professor Semir Zeki used MRI scanners to track neural activity in the brain whilst volunteers looked at art. The results appeared to indicate a specific location responsible for aesthetic reactions.
Breitwieser was particularly attracted to oil paint and often stole paintings that evoked a sense of liberation, particularly works from the era of individualism when artists began to work outside of church control.
Modern art did not interest Breitwieser as he lacked the emotional connection. He wasn't impressed by works from even the Renaissance's greats, such as da Vinci.
Breitwieser often stolen smaller works known as "cabinet paintings" as they are easier to steal and hide.
Aside from paintings, Breitwieser also stole beauty-in-function type items, most of which were created before the Industrial Revolution, as he believed they represented the height of human civilization and beauty.