Academies, Museums and Canons of Art

Rating:
Summary: A Different Sort of Refresher Course
Review: Honestly, I picked up this book because of gorgeous reproductions. And because it focuses on English institutions and art--not my strongest suite. But each chapter not only refreshed my basic knowledge of art history but reminded and educated me of the many factors that play into the shaping of the discipline, from royal schools to government decrees. Most interesting was the way the authors researched how museum collections are formed by not only taste and education but also politics and monetary factors. These should be obvious, but sometimes the cleaness of an exhibition wipes away the history of why an artwork was chosen, why it is displayed in a certain manner, and why a museum may, or may not, promote their collections.