Julien Levy

A four-volume celebration of one of America's most influential gallerists, with rarely seen letters, ephemera and photographs

Julien Levy (1906-81) is best remembered today as the art dealer who brought Surrealism to the United States. His eponymous New York City Gallery (1931-49) was generally regarded as the best place to view cutting-edge work by such artists as Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Arshile Gorky, Frida Kahlo and Man Ray. This four-volume set, presented in a slipcase, gives readers an uncensored insider's view of Levy, the artists he exhibited, and the influence he wielded during the 1930s and '40s. Volume one presents a biography of Levy, including a comprehensive exhibition chronology and an abundance of new information about the evolution of Levy's career during his 18 years as an art dealer. Volumes two, three and four include chapters that discuss each of the approximately 230 solo and group exhibitions mounted by Levy, along with interesting observations about the featured artists. The authors have incorporated important new details about the workings of the gallery, allowing them to clarify or correct statements made in Levy's 1977 Memoir of an Art Gallery and other publications. They have also uncovered some surprising revelations concerning Levy and his interactions with the artists he represented.