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The Maverick's Museum: Albert Barnes and His American Dream
By (author) Blake Gopnik
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A fascinating art collector biography of the philanthropist Albert Barnes, whose pioneering collection of modern art was meant to transform America's soul From prominent critic and biographer Blake Gopnik comes a compelling new portrait of America's first great collector of modern art, Albert Coombs Barnes. Raised in a Gilded Age Philadelphia slum shortly after the Civil War, Barnes rose to earn a medical degree and then made a fortune from a pioneering antiseptic treatment for newborns. Never losing sight of the working-class neighbors of his youth, Barnes became a ruthless advocate for their rights and needs. His vast art collection--181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos--was dedicated to enriching their cultural lives. A miner was more likely to get access than a mine owner. Gopnik's meticulous research reveals Barnes as a fierce advocate for the egalitarian ideals of his era's progressive movement. But while his friends in the movement worked to reshape American society, Barnes wanted to transform the nation's aesthetic life, pioneering his own form of art education by taking art out of the hands of the elite and making it available to the average American. The Maverick's Museum offers a vivid picture of one of America's great eccentrics. The sheer ferocity of Barnes's democratic ambitions left him with more enemies than allies among people of all classes, but for a circle of intimates, he was a model of intelligence, generosity, and loyalty. In this compelling portrait, Gopnik reveals a life shaped by contradictions, one that left a lasting impact. But who was the man behind one of the world's most stunning private collections of modern art? Progressive Era Idealist: Discover the story of a man raised in a slum who made a fortune from an antiseptic and dedicated his life to battling the elite, believing art was a tool for social and educational reform. Pioneering Art Collector: Explore the creation of one of the world's greatest modern art collections, including 181 Renoirs and 69 Cézannes, and Barnes's groundbreaking championship of African art. A Combative Eccentric: Meet the 'terrible-tempered' visionary whose ferocious personality earned him more enemies than allies, from Philadelphia's high society to the Parisian art world. Education and Democracy: Learn about his unique friendship with the philosopher John Dewey and their shared mission to create the Barnes Foundation as a radical experiment in democratic art education.
| product details |
Normally shipped |
Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Published date | 18 Mar 2025
Language |
Format | Digital (delivered electronically)
Pages | 320
Dimensions | 0 x 0 x 0mm (L x W x H)
Weight | 0g
ISBN | 978-0-0632-8405-0
Readership Age |
BISAC | art / history / general
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