Sign-In
Cart
Bernard Berenson: Connoisseurship and the Art Market
Hardcover
Art Criticism & TheoryBusiness of Art
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
ISBN13: 9781848222601
Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd
Published: Aug 25 2026
Pages: 144
Language: English
Bernard Berenson (1865-1959) was an American connoisseur of Lithuanian Jewish extraction who was a hugely significant figure in the evolution of the commercial art world from the late 1880s to the 1940s. This book examines his conception of connoisseurship and its impact through his famous protégés, who included Geoffrey Scott, Meyer Shapiro, John Walker and especially art historian Kenneth Clark, of Civilisation fame. This is framed through a biographical account of Berenson's complex and duplicitous character, together with a description of his important methods for determining authorship and assigning value to Renaissance artworks.
In terms of the assignation of authorship and the determination of value, Berenson remains a seminal if contradictory figure in the history of the art market, for whom the artwork was subject to a series of negotiations and the act of connoisseurship was both an aesthetic pursuit and a 'scientific process'. Berenson's commercial dealings ran counter to his own assertion that the connoisseur needed to be 'disinterested' in their consideration of art and engaged in an other-worldly 'art in life'. The book examines Berenson's complex and lucrative dealings with the industrialists of the American Gilded Age, including Isabella Stewart Gardiner. These transactions were enmeshed in issues of authenticity and forgery, as well as inflated estimates and unscrupulous skimming from both clients and business partners, including the notorious dealer Joseph Duveen.
These negotiations afforded him such celebrity and financial gain that 'everyone', as Marcel Proust once quipped, 'wanted to know about Berenson'. In this way, Berenson is not only an historic figure, but also a precursor to those sometimes slippery intermediaries who appear throughout the history of contemporary art.
Also from
Campbell, Mark
Self-Instructor: Art of Hair Work: Dressing hair, making Curls, Switches, Braids, and Hair Jewelry of every Description
Campbell, Mark
Paperback
Self-Instructor: Art of Hair Work: Dressing hair, making Curls, Switches, Braids, and Hair Jewelry of every Description
Campbell, Mark
Hardcover
Architecture as a Frail, Literary Object: Neurasthenia and the Works of Geoffrey Scott and Bernard Berenson
Campbell, Mark
Hardcover
Also in
Art Criticism & Theory
Drawings by Rembrandt and His Pupils: Telling the Difference
Robinson, William W.
Bevers, Holm
Hendrix, Lee
Hardcover
E Is for Edward: A Centennial Celebration of the Mischievous Mind of Edward Gorey
Hischak, Gregory
The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust
Hardcover
Werner's Nomenclature of Colours: Adapted to Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Anatomy, and the Arts
Werner, Abraham Gottlob
Syme, Patrick
Hardcover
Color Theory: An Essential Guide to Color--From Basic Principles to Practical Applications
Mollica, Patti
Paperback
From Plant to Pigment: How to Make Your Own Vibrant Inks, Pastels and Paints
Stopka, Natalie
Hardcover
Color Curious: Find Color Inspiration All Around You for Art, Design, and Life
Bianchi, Ana
Hardcover
Werner's Nomenclature of Colours: Adapted to Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Anatomy, and the Arts
Syme, Patrick
Hardcover
Interacting with Color: A Practical Guide to Josef Albers's Color Experiments
Horstman, Fritz
Paperback
The Oil Painter's Color Handbook: A Contemporary Guide to Color Mixing, Pigments, Palettes, and Harmony
Casey, Todd M.
Hardcover
Pantone: The Twentieth Century in Color: (Coffee Table Books, Design Books, Best Books about Color)
Recker, Keith
Pantone LLC
Eiseman, Leatrice
Hardcover
Color Collective's Palette Perfect: Color Combinations Inspired by Fashion, Art and Style
Wager, Lauren
Paperback
The Natural Pigment Handbook: A Maker's Guide to the Art, Stories and Recipes for Creating Paint
Mayes, Lucy
Hardcover
Palette Perfect for Graphic Designers and Illustrators: Colour Combinations, Meanings and Cultural References
Caldas, Sara
Paperback
Werner's Nomenclature of Colours: Adapted to Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Anatomy, and the Arts
Werner, Abraham Gottlob
Syme, Patrick
Paperback
The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition: Expert Color Information for Professional Results
Eiseman, Leatrice
Paperback
Special Subjects: Basic Color Theory: An Introduction to Color for Beginning Artists
Mollica, Patti
Paperback
Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic: Mixing Recipes for More Than 450 Color Combinations
Powell, William F.
Hardcover
Fausto & Felice Niccolini. Houses and Monuments of Pompeii. 45th Ed.
Schütze, Sebastian
Kockel, Valentin
Hardcover
Color Collective's Palette Perfect, Vol. 2: Color Combinations by Season. Inspired by Fashion, Art and Style
Wager, Lauren
Paperback
Color Psychology and Color Therapy: A Factual Study of the Influence of Color on Human Life
Birren, Faber
Paperback
The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from Science and Nature
Thrasher, Tyler
Mudge, Terry
Hardcover
3000 Color Mixing Recipes: Watercolor: The Ultimate Practical Reference to Watercolor Mixes and Dilutions
Collins, Julie
Paperback
Secret Knowledge (New and Expanded Edition): Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters
Hockney, David
Paperback
Frieze Frame: How Poets, Painters, and Their Friends Framed the Debate Around Elgin and the Marbles of the Parthenon
Stallings, A. E.
Paperback
The Designer's Color Box: A Guidebook and 75 Cards for Creative Combinations and Inspirational Ideas
Adams, Sean
Paperback
Color Theory 101: Pocket Guide: Essential Guide to Color Relationships, Symbolism, and Mixing for Artists
Tabares, Michelle
Paperback
Botanical Drawing in Color: A Basic Guide to Mastering Realistic Form and Naturalistic Color
Hollender, Wendy
Paperback
Nouvelles Femmes: Modern Women of the French New Wave and Their Enduring Contribution to Cinema
Knudson, Ericka
Hardcover
Women Among Monuments: Solitude, Permission, and the Pursuit of Female Genius
Van Schaik, Kasia
Paperback
Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits: More Than 500 Color Combinations for Skin, Eyes, Lips & Hair
Powell, William F.
Hardcover
On Ruben Slikk: A Manifesto on the Purpose of Art and the Value of Transgression
True, Caleb
Paperback
Creative Authenticity: 16 Principles to Clarify and Deepen Your Artistic Vision
Roberts, Ian
Paperback
Design Elements, Color Fundamentals: A Graphic Style Manual for Understanding How Color Affects Design
Sherin, Aaris
Paperback
Color Index XL: More Than 1,100 New Palettes with Cmyk and Rgb Formulas for Designers and Artists
Krause, Jim
Paperback
Emily Vanderpoel's Color Problems: A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color
Vanderpoel, Emily Noyes
Hardcover
Large Print Color By Number Butterflies, Birds, and Flowers Adult Coloring Book
Coloring Books, Lilt Kids
Paperback