Synopses & Reviews
This is the story of how a fabled art foundation—the greatest collection of impressionist and postimpressionist art in America—came to be, and how more than a decade of legal squabbling brought it to the brink of collapse and to a move that many believe betrayed the wishes of the founder. Art Held Hostage has been described by Time magazine as “the indispensable history of the Barnes” and by the Los Angeles Times as “the definitive account of the saga.” The Washington Post hailed it “as a substantial work of reporting and historical research” and referred to it as “John Anderson’s excellent book.” Now with a new and updated epilogue, the author details the current state of this international treasure.
Review
"A morality play masquerading as a legal thriller tells us what went wrong [at the Barnes]." Washington Post
Review
"“A chronicle of chaos containing one mind-boggling revelation after another." Wall Street Journal
Review
"Excellent...A substantial work of reporting and historical research." Philip Kennicott
Review
"A chronicle of chaos, [containing] one mind-boggling revelation after another." New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
"Money, pretension, horrid behavior by cultured people" () --John Anderson's tale delivers it all in fabulously juicy detail.
Synopsis
This is the story of how a fabled art foundation--the greatest collection of impressionist and postimpressionist art in America, including 69 C zannes, 60 Matisses, and 44 Picassos, among many priceless others--came to be, and how more than a decade of legal squabbling brought it to the brink of collapse and to a move that many believe betrayed the wishes of the founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes (1872--1951). Art Held Hostage is now updated with a new epilogue by the author covering the current state of this international treasure and the endless battle over its fate.
About the Author
John Anderson is a contributing editor to The American Lawyer. He is the coauthor of Burning Down the House, which won the 1988 Meyers Award for the outstanding book on race relations in America. A cofinalist for the 1998 National Magazine Award for public service, he holds a Ph.D. in American studies from Yale University and lives in Ossining, New York.