It looks as if the sad saga of the Barnes Foundation-a saga of Philadelphia history repeating itself-is approaching its tragic dénouement. With the Philadelphia Inquirer leading the assault and the governor of Pennsylvania, Edward G. Rendell, providing the necessary cash-mountains of it-from the state treasury, the enemies of the late Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951) are Read More
It never occurred to me that the American expatriate painter James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), who made so many other claims on the public’s attention, both in his own lifetime and in ours, would one day be drafted into service as an arbiter of taste in the world of haute couture . Yet that day is Read More
Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943), whose paintings are currently the subject of a very oddly conceived exhibition at the Jewish Museum, was one of those rare modern artists who left virtually no paper trail. He didn’t theorize about his art, he didn’t give interviews about his life, he drafted no manifestos, and the few letters that survive Read More
