Freer: A Legacy of Art

Freer: A Legacy of Art

Book by Thomas Lawton, Linda Merrill Judging by recent publications, there currently seems to be an interest in and nostalgia for the great collectors of the recent past: Havemeyer ( Splendid Legacy. 1993), Barnes ( Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation , LJ 5/15/93), Morgan, and now Freer. Charles Lang Freer, whose original gift to the nation in 1906 formed the basis of a singular collection of Asian art, realized in his collection a link between East and West matched only in James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room. On the occasion of the opening of the renovated Freer galleries at the Smithsonian, this book is a celebration of the man. It is part biography and part catalog, detailing both the development of a connoisseur and the creation of a collection. Numerous color illustrations give just a hint of the extraordinary scope of the galleries, truly a national treasure. As an excellent introduction and a basis for further study, this work should be part of any art library collection and most large public library collections. - Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum Lib., New York Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Used Book in Good Condition