The Janice H. Levin Collection of French Art

Résumé du livre

Each of the works is illustrated in full color and discussed in the context of the artist's development, the commission or situation in which the artist made it, and its inherent formal and compositional qualities. The author, Richard Shone, is a noted art historian and lively critic who communicates his enthusiasm for the works with a gusto that is not diminished by the text's formidable erudition. Whether questioning Monet's honesty in portraying his own garden filled with dahlias (when they may, in fact, have been growing on the other side of the fence, the product of his neighbor's green thumb) or closely analyzing Andre Derain's Plate of Peaches in connection to Cezanne and Matisse and to other works by Derain, Shone gives us newfound insight into these canonical artists. At the same time, he enlarges our appreciation of the collector's eye -- it is no accident that these particular works all ended up at the same address, and Mrs. Levin's interests and taste are an unmistakable thread running through the book. The provenance and exhibition history of each work, as well as a list of additional references keyed to the extensive bibliography, are provided. This publication accompanies an exhibition to be held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from November 19, 2002, to February 9, 2003. The exhibition and catalogue are made possible by The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation.