The Eye of Duncan Phillips: A Collection in the Making

by Erika D. Passantino (Editor), Erika D. Passantino

This book is both a survey of the major European and American works in The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., and a guide to the museum's holdings and significance. A study of the history of taste in twentieth-century America, it documents the evolution of modernism as well as the pivotal role played by Duncan Phillips (1886-1966) as a critic and collector.

Genres: Art

840 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 1999

Reviews

[Jeff DeLisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duncan Phillips figured out who all the good 20th century artists were before anyone else in the US. He bought the best of the best and put them in his house. Now you can visit it in Georgetown, Washington DC. This book has excellent plates of many of the best pieces in the collection, with commentary about the artists, their lives, and their relationship with Duncan Phillips. The pictures are very well reproduced and make for a good value in this somewhat pricey book.