A Sweeper-Up After Artists: A Memoir

by Irving Sandler

A brilliant memoir by the renowned art historian offers a fascinating insider's study of the world of modern art, the evolution of various styles of art, and his relationship with Barnett Newman, William de Kooning, Mark Rothko, David Smith, and other notable artists, critics, scholars, and collectors.

Genres: Art, Memoir, Biography

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Irving Sandler was an American art critic, art historian, and educator.

Reviews

[Rob Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice surprise; a memoir by one of my favorite college professors, who was (and is) at the center of the New York art world from the early 1950s onwards. His close friendships with many canonical artists, particularly in Abstract Expressionism, yield a closely observed and intimate portrait of the scene, as well as an insightful critique. I came away from reading this with a new appreciation for mid-century New York School painting, and feel I will reenter those galleries at MOMA with a fresh eye. I enjoyed his mix of the personal, the anecdotal and the critical, which was refreshingly jargon-free and accessible even to the layman, often amusing, and always insightful. A great read for anyone interested in post-WWII American art, and its evolving critical, institutional, and public reception.