Rogues' Gallery

December 1, 2017

Cambridge University-educated art historian, senior director of impressionist art at Sotheby's London, and author (Breakfast at Sotheby's; The Ultimate Trophy) Hook writes about the lives and careers of some well- and lesser-known art dealers. Moving from the Renaissance to the 21st century, he presents many significant insights into the extraordinary lives and careers of the men and women who purveyed art to kings, merchants, nobles, entrepreneurs, museums, and others. Focusing on the lives and careers of William Buchanan, Joseph Duveen, Paul Durand-Ruel, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, the Rosenberg brothers, Peter Wilson, Leo Castelli, and others, the author's broad yet detailed survey of art dealers and art dealing in Europe and the United States reveals the techniques and practices used by these extraordinary individuals. He addresses the roles that art dealers and art dealing have played in the development of the art market and the valuation of paintings and also covers related topics going beyond the dealers' relationships with artists, collectors, art historians, art critics, and others. VERDICT Noteworthy, enlightening, well informed, and readable, this masterly book by an expert art dealer and auctioneer belongs in many large, public, academic, and special library visual arts collections.--Cheryl Ann Lajos, Broward Cty. Lib., FL

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
A narrative of the art dealers and gallerists who have shaped art history from behind the scenes.Many art histories have overlooked a critical narrative in its development to the present day: art dealers. At least, that is the argument of art historian Hook (Breakfast at Sotheby's: An A-Z of the Art World, 2013, etc.), who is a board member and senior director of impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's. For the author, the development of Western art following the Renaissance coincides with the development of the commercial art market and the individual dealers and, later, gallerists whose tastes helped shape the market and favor certain artists and styles over others. Among the dealers Hook profiles are Englishman Arthur Pond, whose connoisseurship and reputation as an artist helped pioneer the role of dealer/scholar in the 18th century; William Buchanan, whose entrepreneurial attitude foresaw the value of art speculation in the early 19th century; the Wildenstein family, who established an art dynasty spanning the 20th century; and midcentury titan Leo Castelli, who cornered the abstract expressionist and pop art movements and represented a major power shift in the market. For some readers, Hook may come off as biased because of his position at Sotheby's--he openly admits a refusal to discuss big name contemporary dealers due to possible conflicts of interest--as well as his devotion of an entire chapter to former Sotheby's chairman Peter Wilson. Still, the role of auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's and their relationships with dealers are essential parts of the narrative, and the author's study of art dealers and the big personalities that have shifted tastes in the art market is valuable for anyone interested in this "story of many varieties of human folly and duplicity, interspersed with ingenuity, inspiration and occasional acts of heroism." A lively exploration of the history of art and the tastemakers and dealers whose influence in shaping it is often overlooked.

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October 15, 2017
In this entertaining and perceptive look at the workings of the fine-art trade, Hook (Breakfast at Sotheby's: An AZ of the Art World, 2014) asks if an art dealer can influence what an artist actually paints and how deeply the history of art has been determined by dealers. Ultimately he tells the stories of key figures whose behind-the-scenes wheelings and dealings did, indeed, influence artists, collectors, and the public from the Renaissance and the Enlightenment on to the nineteenth century, the modern era, and our own time. While the names of such art dealers as Paul Durand-Ruel, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, and Leo Castelli may not be quite as well known today as that of artists Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Roy Lichtenstein, they played essential roles in introducing and promoting their work. Hook writes, The history of art dealing is the story of many varieties of human folly and duplicity, interspersed with ingenuity, inspiration and occasional acts of heroism. This book recounts all that and more and will interest even the most casual of art lovers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)