Francis Haskell
The Ephemeral Museum: Old Master Paintings and the Rise of the Art Exhibition
New Haven:
Yale University Press,
1999.
208 pp.; 60 b/w ills.
Cloth
$25.00
(0300085364)
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As Francis Haskell reminds us in this meticulously researched book, the idea of a permanent collection of paintings is slowly becoming a thing of the past. The collecting, arranging, and display of art works in museums reflects an increasingly ephemeral experience determined by the needs of museums and galleries to prove their worth in a world of accountability. In a witty introduction, the author reminds us that as jets are ferrying their precious cargo to...