Harry Graf Kessler

Harry Graf Kessler's (1868-1937) impact on the visual arts of his time can hardly be overestimated. Auguste Rodin, Henry van de Velde, Aristide Maillol, Paul Signac and Maurice Denis were among Kessler's closest acquaintances. The art dealers Paul Durand-Ruel, Ambroise Vollard and Eugène Druet stood by his side in an advisory capacity whenever it was necessary to organize exhibitions in the German Empire with the works of the French Modernists or to arrange painting sales. For the first time, this volume earnestly deals with questions about how Kessler discovered his passion for art and which literary, cultural and philosophical sources nurtured his diverse knowledge. Kessler's active collecting habits, as well as his significant commitment as a patron, provide further emphases for the essays.