A Modern Patronage
de Menil Gifts to American and European Museums
Published on 28. July 2007
Book
Hardback
120 pages
978-0-300-12379-1 (ISBN)
Description
A celebration of the internationally renowned collectors John and Dominique de Menil and their commitment to the modern museum
In the early 1940s, John and Dominique de Menil began to acquire art. Collecting in an intuitive and personal manner, the de Menils gathered "things in which we believe," as John phrased it, and proceeded to develop an inspired collection that would eventually find a permanent home at The Menil Collection in Houston. In addition to building their own collection, the de Menils were committed to extending their vision to major museums in America and Europe. This beautifully illustrated book showcases some fifty works that the de Menils collected over the decades, including pieces by such major 20th-century artists as Lee Bontecou, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Rene Magritte, Jackson Pollock, Jean Tinguely, and Andy Warhol as well as an important group of African, Oceanic, and pre-Columbian works. Published on the 20th anniversary of the founding of The Menil Collection, the book reproduces and examines works held in that museum and gifts in the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris; the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. To complete the volume, the contributing authors examine the circumstances that inspired the de Menils' collection and generosity, the relationships they developed with legendary museum directors, and the gifts that were selected for each museum.
Distributed for The Menil Collection
Exhibition Schedule:
The Menil Collection, Houston (June 8 - September 16, 2007)
In the early 1940s, John and Dominique de Menil began to acquire art. Collecting in an intuitive and personal manner, the de Menils gathered "things in which we believe," as John phrased it, and proceeded to develop an inspired collection that would eventually find a permanent home at The Menil Collection in Houston. In addition to building their own collection, the de Menils were committed to extending their vision to major museums in America and Europe. This beautifully illustrated book showcases some fifty works that the de Menils collected over the decades, including pieces by such major 20th-century artists as Lee Bontecou, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Rene Magritte, Jackson Pollock, Jean Tinguely, and Andy Warhol as well as an important group of African, Oceanic, and pre-Columbian works. Published on the 20th anniversary of the founding of The Menil Collection, the book reproduces and examines works held in that museum and gifts in the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris; the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. To complete the volume, the contributing authors examine the circumstances that inspired the de Menils' collection and generosity, the relationships they developed with legendary museum directors, and the gifts that were selected for each museum.
Distributed for The Menil Collection
Exhibition Schedule:
The Menil Collection, Houston (June 8 - September 16, 2007)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
21 b-w + 64 color illus.
Dimensions
Height: 305 mm
Width: 229 mm
Weight
998 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-12379-1 (9780300123791)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Marcia Brennan is associate professor of art history, Rice University, Houston. Alfred Pacquement is director of the Musee national d'art moderne, Centres Georges Pompidou, Paris. Ann Temkin is curator, department of paintings and sculpture, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and author of Barnett Newman (Yale).