Duveen

Astonishing . . . Its a masterful, deeply enjoyable work. David Remnick, The New Yorker A witty and hypnotically readable biography. Clifton Fadiman Incredibly entertaining. Edmund Wilson Joseph Duveen was the worlds most famous art dealer. His clients were amongst the most prominent and infamous Americans of the 20th century and included Mellon, Frick, Hearst and Morgan. If you werent a client, chances are you were a nobody. Famous for his charm, shrewd salesmanship, relentless pursuit of the perfect objet dart and his ability to command eye-watering prices Duveen was as unique as one of his priceless Old Masters. In this exceptional biography S. N. Behrman tells the story of Duveens rise to prestige, from delftware peddler to selling the greatest European paintings to the greatest American millionaires. Duveen was a skilled salesman, enticing his well-heeled and business-savvy clients with visions of cultivation through acquisition of high-culture. He even laid the foundations for the great American museums of art, including the National Gallery and the Frick Collection, by persuading his clients to bequeath their purchases to the nation. Everyone wanted a Duveen, because a Duveen was so much more than a painting or a vase, it was a chance at immortality.