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The Maverick's Museum: Albert Barnes and His American Dream – A Vivid Portrait of the Eccentric Philanthropist Who Transformed Modern Art Access
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About This Book
A fascinating 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 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—180 Renoirs, 67 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 45 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, 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.
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Reviews
"Vivid, engrossing ..."
"Gopnik does his best to present Barnes as a visionary collector with a novel conception of art, we leave the book unsure exactly of Barnes's views, despite the collector having spilled pages of ink attempting to elucidate his theory."
"The tragedy of Barnes was that the things he could understand least held the key to what he loved mos"
"The emphasis on Barnes's pugilism gives Gopnik's narrative a pronounced focus ..."
"A comprehensive portrait of a noteworthy patron of the arts."
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