
Title

Duveen: A Life In Art
Delivery time: 8-12 business days (International)
Meryle Secrest, Biographer Of Kenneth Clark (Riveting . . . Enthralling Wall Street Journal) And Bernard Berenson (A Remarkable Tour De Forcesir Harold Acton), Brings All Her Exceptional Gifts To The Story Of Lord Duveen Of Millbank. Her Book Is The First Major Biography In More Than Fifty Years Of The Supreme International Art Dealer Of The Twentieth Century And The First To Make Use Of The Enormous Duveen Archive That Spans A Century And Has, Until Recently, Been Kept Under Lock And Key At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art.The Story Begins With Duveen Pre, A Dutch Jew Immigrating To Britain In 1866, Establishing A Business In London, Going From Humble Beginnings In An Antiques Shop To A Knighthood Celebrating Him As One Of The Countrys Leading Art Dealers. Duveen Pre Could Discern An Old Master Beneath Layers Of Discolored Varnish. He Perfected The Chase, The Subterfuges, The Strategies, The Double Dealings. He Had An Uncanny Ability To Spot A Hidden Treasure. It Was Called The Duveen Eye. His Son, Joseph, Grew Up With It And Learned It Alland More . . .Secrest Tells Us How The Young Duveen Was Motivated From The Beginning By The Thrill Of Discovery; How He Ascended, At Twentynine, To (De Facto) Head Of The Business; How He Moved Away From The Firms Emphasis On Tapestries And Chinese Porcelains Toward The More Speculative, More Lucrative, More Exciting Business Of Dealing In Old Masters. We See A Demand For These Paintings Growing In America, Fueled By The New Squillionaires Just At The Moment When British Aristocrats With Great Art Collections Were Losing Their Fortunes . . . How Duveens Whole Career Was Based On The Simple Observation: Europe Has The Art; America, The Money.Secrest Shows How He Sold Hundreds Of Masterpieces By Bellini, Botticelli, Giotto, Raphael, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Watteau, Velzquez, Vermeer, And Titian, Among Others, By Convincing Such Selfmade Americans As Morgan, Frick, Huntington, Widener, Bache, Mellon, And Kress That Ownership Of Great Art Would Ennoble Them, And While Waving Such Huge Sums At The Already Noble British Owners That The Art Changed Hands And All Were Happy.We Discover Duveens Connection To Buckingham Palace: How When The Prince Of Wales Became Edward Vii His First Act Was To Call In Duveen Brothers As Decorators (Something Had To Be Done With The Lugubrious Victorian Dcor And Ghastly Tartan Hangings); How Duveen Supplied The Tapestries And Rugs For The Coronation Ceremonies In Westminster Abbey; And How, In 1933, He Became Lord Duveen Of Millbank. We Learn About The Controversies In Which He Became Embroiled And About His Legendary Art Espionage (A Network Of Hotel Employees Spied On His Clients To Discover Their Tastes).Duveen Was As Generous As He Was Acquisitive, Giving Away Hundreds Of Thousands Of Pounds To British Institutions (The Tate Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The British Museumincluding Rooms To House The Elgin Marbles), Organizing Exhibitions For Young Artists, Writing Books About British Art, And Playing A Major Role In The Design Of The National Gallery In Washington.Meryle Secrests Duveen Fascinates As It Contributes To Our Understanding Of Art As Commerce And Our Grasp Of American And English Taste In The Grand Manner.As Andrew Mellon Once Said, Paintings Never Looked As Good As They Did When Duveen Was Standing In Front Of Them.
By changing our most important processes and
products, we have already made a big leap forward. This ranges from the
increased use of more sustainable fibers to the use of more
environmentally friendly printing processes to the development of
efficient waste management in our value chain.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
Secure Payment
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
We accept payments with :
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Paypal, Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and more.
Secure Payment
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
We accept payments with :
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Paypal, Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and more.
Related Products
You may also like
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is 'Duveen: A Life in Art' about? A: 'Duveen: A Life in Art' is a biography of Lord Duveen, a prominent art dealer of the twentieth century, written by Meryle Secrest. The book explores Duveen's life, his rise in the art world, and his influence on American and British art markets.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'Duveen: A Life in Art' is Meryle Secrest, a well-known biographer recognized for her work on notable figures in the art world.
- Q: How many pages does the book have? A: 'Duveen: A Life in Art' contains 544 pages, providing an in-depth look into the life and career of Lord Duveen.
- Q: What is the publication date of this book? A: 'Duveen: A Life in Art' was published on September 21, 2004.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This book is available in hardcover binding, which offers durability and a classic look.
- Q: What category does this book belong to? A: 'Duveen: A Life in Art' is categorized under 'Artists, Architects & Photographers,' focusing on the art world and its influential figures.
- Q: Is this book in new condition? A: Yes, 'Duveen: A Life in Art' is listed as being in new condition, ensuring a fresh and unread copy for readers.
- Q: What edition of the book is available? A: The available edition of 'Duveen: A Life in Art' is the first edition, providing original content as published.
- Q: Does the book include any illustrations or images? A: While the primary focus of 'Duveen: A Life in Art' is the text, it may contain some illustrations relevant to the art discussed, though specifics are not detailed.
- Q: What themes are explored in 'Duveen: A Life in Art'? A: The book explores themes of art commerce, the intersection of American and British tastes, and the biography of an influential art dealer, shedding light on art history and collecting.