The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector

by Howard Greenfeld

Overview

The only full-scale biography of Albert Coombs Barnes, one of the most controversial, colorful figures in the twentieth-century American art world, this book recounts how he amassed a fortune that brought to a Philadelphia suburb the premier private collection of works by such masters as Renoir, Matisse, Cezanne, and Picasso—all the while thumbing his nose at the art establishment.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013636927
Publisher:	Camino Books, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/04/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	314
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Howard Greenfeld is the author of biographies of Puccini, Caruso, and Ben Shahn.

Editorial Reviews

Multimillionaire art collector Albert Barnes (1872-1951) wrote obscene letters to his enemies; he lashed art critics and dealers, and he insisted that he got rich through the discovery of a medicated silver solution that he, in fact, had merely promoted. The irascible chemist-turned-connoisseur championed the Harlem Renaissance, yet he was often patronizing in his treatment of blacks. He housed his art collection in a Philadelphia suburb to educate the masses, but his foundation's rigid admissio

N/A - Publishers Weekly

Astounding, captivating, and often amusing, this is a biography of doctor-inventor-connoisseur Albert Coombs Barnes, who used his self-made fortune to snub the American museum and gallery community from the turn of the century until his death in 1951. His quest for supremacy in the art world led to the creation of one of America's premier private collections. Greenfeld chronicles Barnes's eccentric behavior, unusual educational philosophy, and friendships with such notables as Gertrude and Leo S

N/A - Library Journal

There could be no fairer portrait of this eccentric personage than Howard Greenfeld . . . has given in this sympathetic and forbearing life . . . It is a very satisfying book.

New York Times Book Review - N/A