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Product Description
Great Collectors of Our Time is the first major survey of contemporary collecting and collectors since Douglas Cooper's Great Private Collections, published in 1963. It examines many of the greatest collectors of our time in Europe, North America and the Far East, and follows their tastes - whether in the Old Masters or the avant garde - from the 20th century into the 21st. In 1945, Paris was still the cultural capital of the world, but its culture was being increasingly challenged by America. American collecting was soon to pull up its European anchor and move across the Atlantic, in growing acceptance of America's own art, the decline in the domination of three European schools of art - Italian Renaissance, English 18th century and French 19th century Impressionism - and the rise of the New York School and contemporary art. Prior to 1939, collecting was a private pleasure, sometimes intellectual and scholarly, but more often about enhancing surroundings - 'la douceur de vivre'. Today, collecting often has a public dimension, with many collectors feeling a moral imperative to share their works of art with the public, not least when these works are on a scale far beyond that of domestic living: Saatchi, Getty and Sainsbury are names we now associate readily with public collections and museums. There are as many different kinds of collectors as there are collections - from the very rich to the only moderately rich, whether dealer-collectors, publishers, couturiers, or even a post office clerk with a passion for collecting every bit the equal of a tycoon. James Stourton guides us with great verve around the astonishing collections created in our time and explores the motivation behind them. He includes collecting dynasties such as the Rothschilds, Gettys, Thyssens, Rockefellers and Mellons, among others; and larger-than-life figures such as Peggy Guggenheim, Yves Saint Laurent, Picasso, Pierre Rosenberg, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury, Charles Saatchi and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The collections themselves contain cultural treasures that have captured the imagination, from the most ancient tribal artefacts to the newest installations in today's art world. This original and far-reaching survey features many collectors who have spoken about their collections here for the first time. Magnificently illustrated throughout, with favourite images often selected by the owners themselves, this book will appeal to anyone interested in art and in the extraordinary people who collect it.
About the Author
James Stourton is Chairman of Sotheby's UK. He read History of Art at Cambridge and joined Sotheby's in 1979. He is the author of Great Smaller Museums of Europe and frequently writes on the history of collecting. He has written on the subject for Apollo, The Art Newspaper, Matrix, The Independent and The Spectator and regularly lectures to the National Art Collections Fund, Sotheby's Institute of Education and Cambridge University faculty of Art History.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The author is eminently qualified to write this book: James Stourton is an art connoisseur and in his capacity as chairman of Sotheby's British arm had the opportunity to meet affluent collectors, view their collections and obtain an insight into their motives, knowledge and judgments.
A pertinent question is who collects? Kenneth Clark, a distinguished 20th century art historian, thought it was like asking why people fall in love: the reasons are various. The book, surveying over 100 eminent collectors in Europe, North America and the Far East validates his judgment. There are as many different kinds of collectors as there are collections - from the very rich to the only moderately rich - from banker to coutourier, from civil servant to tycoon, they are a group of fascinating diversity with a wide array of tastes. But the author concedes that great wealth is unquestionably an assistance in collecting. And most of the book is about those who either started off very rich or made a fortune and spent much of it in art: people like the Rothschilds, Gettys, Thyssens, Rockefellers, Mellons, Sainsburys, J. Paul Getty, Peggy Guggenheim, Charles Saatchi, and a few famous collectors in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
Until 1945, Paris was the cultural capital of the world, but its culture was being increasingly challenged by America. Along with the geographical shift there was also a shift in the works of art being collected with a growing acceptance of America's own art and a relative decline in the domination of three European schools of art, Italian Renaissance, English 18th century and French 19th century Impressionism.
We also observe a change in the attitudes of collectors: prior to 1939, collecting was a private pleasure, to-day collecting has a public dimension, with many collectors feeling a moral imperative to share their works of art with the public, not least when these works are on a scale far beyond that of domestic living: Getty, Satchi and Sainsbury are names we associate with public collections and museums.
This original survey features many collectors who have spoken about their collections here for the first time. Lavishly illustrated with favourite images often selected by the owners themselves, the book will appeal to those interested in art and the people that collect it.
A final question is whether there is something creative in the art of collecting? In the best of circumstances as Henri Fossillon, an art historian, once put it, that the collector creates 'from the genius of others a nectar which belongs to him alone'.
A pertinent question is who collects? Kenneth Clark, a distinguished 20th century art historian, thought it was like asking why people fall in love: the reasons are various. The book, surveying over 100 eminent collectors in Europe, North America and the Far East validates his judgment. There are as many different kinds of collectors as there are collections - from the very rich to the only moderately rich - from banker to coutourier, from civil servant to tycoon, they are a group of fascinating diversity with a wide array of tastes. But the author concedes that great wealth is unquestionably an assistance in collecting. And most of the book is about those who either started off very rich or made a fortune and spent much of it in art: people like the Rothschilds, Gettys, Thyssens, Rockefellers, Mellons, Sainsburys, J. Paul Getty, Peggy Guggenheim, Charles Saatchi, and a few famous collectors in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
Until 1945, Paris was the cultural capital of the world, but its culture was being increasingly challenged by America. Along with the geographical shift there was also a shift in the works of art being collected with a growing acceptance of America's own art and a relative decline in the domination of three European schools of art, Italian Renaissance, English 18th century and French 19th century Impressionism.
We also observe a change in the attitudes of collectors: prior to 1939, collecting was a private pleasure, to-day collecting has a public dimension, with many collectors feeling a moral imperative to share their works of art with the public, not least when these works are on a scale far beyond that of domestic living: Getty, Satchi and Sainsbury are names we associate with public collections and museums.
This original survey features many collectors who have spoken about their collections here for the first time. Lavishly illustrated with favourite images often selected by the owners themselves, the book will appeal to those interested in art and the people that collect it.
A final question is whether there is something creative in the art of collecting? In the best of circumstances as Henri Fossillon, an art historian, once put it, that the collector creates 'from the genius of others a nectar which belongs to him alone'.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
An insider's look at private collections
3 May 2008
Format:Hardcover
Written by a senior staff member of Sotheby's, this book offers an interesting overlook on the collections and personalities of some of the most important art collectors of our time. The text itself is a collection of short pieces on each collector, describing the building and the highlights of their collection (which can be African art, Islamic art, modern paintings, rare books, old masters, contemporary art, etc). You will not find any real scoop here, since, but for a few exceptions, most of the people and collections described are already well-known , but it is still a book that is pleasant to read and full of good-quality illustrations of seldom reproduced works.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A treasure!
27 April 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a truly magnificent book, very well written, very complete. The text is scholarly and straight forward, with many answered questions about this club of great collectors. While the events of theirs lifes are vividly told, the text also explains and illuminates each personality through interesting analyses. The author tends to be factual and does not speculate much. If you want to be as much entertained as educated on this great collectors buy this fantastic book. This is no ordinary art book. You will treasure it and be proud to show it to friends. Simply 5 stars!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A Fine Art
17 April 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Will be enjoyed by those interested in the most significant collectors of great art since the end of World War II and the role each played in preserving various treasures of the world's culture.
By its nature this is a quick survey work, with short articles on each collector, along with nice photographs of important pieces within their separate collections. Each individual survey spans the time from when and how the collector started; to the collection's ultimate breadth and setting; to how it was eventually dispersed (usually to a museum or two) at death or other final point--unless the collector is still alive and still in possession.
My favorite collector in the book: The Canadian embassy worker in the Soviet Union, Mr. George Costakis.
For those really interested, you can find more detailed books on a number of these collectors, such as "Memories of a Collector" by Giusppe Panza.
James Stourton is a highly informed and interesting art expert, although certainly given to focusing on the positive about each of his selected collectors and their collections.
By its nature this is a quick survey work, with short articles on each collector, along with nice photographs of important pieces within their separate collections. Each individual survey spans the time from when and how the collector started; to the collection's ultimate breadth and setting; to how it was eventually dispersed (usually to a museum or two) at death or other final point--unless the collector is still alive and still in possession.
My favorite collector in the book: The Canadian embassy worker in the Soviet Union, Mr. George Costakis.
For those really interested, you can find more detailed books on a number of these collectors, such as "Memories of a Collector" by Giusppe Panza.
James Stourton is a highly informed and interesting art expert, although certainly given to focusing on the positive about each of his selected collectors and their collections.
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