This is an immersive virtual tour - room by room, piece by piece, of the Arensbergs vast and important collection of pre-Columbian and modern art, and Francis Bacon material. The photographs are stunning and show (in situ) an almost unimaginable wealth of discernment and finesse in display. As I was flipping through the pages, I found myself wondering if the people who lived with this stunning abundance day in and day out ever became inured to the beauty in which they were surrounded.
Although the photographs are informative, beautiful and almost overwhelmingly detailed, it was the expert and erudite commentary which really elevated the whole for me. The book is filled with good commentary on the items and curation and history of the collection and collaboration of the Arensbergs and the Stendahls next door. The authors are experts in their fields and I enjoyed the essays as much (maybe more) than the physical photos - it felt like having a very good private docent walking me through a museum.
My personal interest was mostly for the Bacon collection and the pre-Columbian artifacts, but I came away with a deeper appreciation of the modern arts portions of the collection as well. The entire book is meticulously annotated and the bibliography and links lists contain a wealth of information for further reading.
This is an impressive, academically rigorous, and layman accessible look at art collection and curation whose likes we won't see again.
Five stars. This would make a superlative selection for art aficionados, students, design/interior artists, library use, or as a beautiful coffee-table book to enjoy and revisit. This one has high "re-readability".
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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