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The Best Art You've Never Seen: 101 Hidden Treasures from Around the World
Across the globe there are scores of beautiful and unusual works of art that are largely unseen or fail to receive the critical acclaim they deserve. The Best Art You've Never Seen is your essential companion to this hidden world of artistic treasures. Travelling from Peru to Papua New Guinea, The Best Art You've Never Seen restores to view 101 wonderful treasures — uncovering neglected artistic wonders from off-beat corners of the world to store rooms in the world's great museums. Written by art expert and former museum director Julian Spalding, The Best Art You've Never Seen takes you into a world of beautiful and arresting artifacts and reveals their amazing stories. It unveils a surprising and unfamiliar alternative canon of works to offer a fresh and controversial take on the world of art.
- GenresArtNonfictionHistory
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2010
About the author
Julian Spalding
21 books4 followersI was born in 1947, and brought up on a council estate in St Mary Cray, on the fringes of South London. My upbringing made me acutely aware of the inequalities unfairly imposed by class and wealth, and of the effects of cultural deprivation on people’s lives.
I studied art history at Nottingham University and art at Nottingham Art College, where I regrettably allowed my love of and talent for watercolour painting to be crushed by the rigorous exercises of modernism.
I made objects in plastic and, among other things, designed an acrylic ‘Rainbow Clock’ which went into production, and was selected by the Design Council. But I felt I didn’t have enough to say to become a full-time creative artist. Nor did I want to become an academic lecturer, spending my life in darkened rooms with slides. So I chose to work in museums and galleries, where art and people meet.
I worked in museums in Leicester and Durham before becoming director of galleries for Sheffield, and then Manchester. In 1989 I was appointed director of Glasgow Museums, responsible for twelve institutions, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the Burrell Collection - by far the largest local authority museum service in Britain, and bigger than most of the nationals. I enjoyed working for local authorities, and the opportunities this gave me to be responsive to local communities.
I established several award-winning, innovative galleries and museum services. These include the Ruskin Gallery in Sheffield, devoted to the teachings of John Ruskin, and in Glasgow, the St Mungo Museum of Religious Art and Life, the world’s first public museum of comparative religion; the Gallery of Modern Art, a radical rethink of international modern art (ruthlessly reduced and conceptualised since my departure); and the Open Museum, a ground-breaking service which opens museum stores for community use.
Through trial and error I evolved new approaches for museums and galleries, to enable them to improve what they offer their public, a practical philosophy later outlined in my book The Poetic Museum (see Books).
However, my career was truncated before I had fully realised an exemplar poetic museum, which I planned to do by recreating the Victorian encyclopaedic museum in 21st century terms within Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum . In 1999 my post, along with the directorships of Libraries, Performing Arts, Recreation and Sport, was abolished by Glasgow City Council, and replaced by a leisure management system.
I spent a year as a researcher at the National Museum in Copenhagen, and I have over the years advised on museum development in several other countries, giving keynote addresses at museum and art gallery conferences in the USA, Canada, The Netherlands, Sweden and Russia.
In 2000, as Master of the Guild of St George (an educational charity established by John Ruskin), I established the nationwide and now international Campaign for Drawing, to raise awareness of the value of drawing in art, in education and in daily life.
As a broadcaster, I have been a regular contributor to Today, PM, Start the Week, Front Row and other programmes on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and Radio Scotland. I have also made programmes including a series of interviews with artists for Radio 3’s Third Ear. My television appearances include a short film on the future of the British Museum which I wrote and presented for BBC 2’s Newsnight, as well as numerous contributions to arts, news and current affairs programmes on the BBC and independent channels.
In 2001 I began to devote myself chiefly to writing.
I studied art history at Nottingham University and art at Nottingham Art College, where I regrettably allowed my love of and talent for watercolour painting to be crushed by the rigorous exercises of modernism.
I made objects in plastic and, among other things, designed an acrylic ‘Rainbow Clock’ which went into production, and was selected by the Design Council. But I felt I didn’t have enough to say to become a full-time creative artist. Nor did I want to become an academic lecturer, spending my life in darkened rooms with slides. So I chose to work in museums and galleries, where art and people meet.
I worked in museums in Leicester and Durham before becoming director of galleries for Sheffield, and then Manchester. In 1989 I was appointed director of Glasgow Museums, responsible for twelve institutions, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the Burrell Collection - by far the largest local authority museum service in Britain, and bigger than most of the nationals. I enjoyed working for local authorities, and the opportunities this gave me to be responsive to local communities.
I established several award-winning, innovative galleries and museum services. These include the Ruskin Gallery in Sheffield, devoted to the teachings of John Ruskin, and in Glasgow, the St Mungo Museum of Religious Art and Life, the world’s first public museum of comparative religion; the Gallery of Modern Art, a radical rethink of international modern art (ruthlessly reduced and conceptualised since my departure); and the Open Museum, a ground-breaking service which opens museum stores for community use.
Through trial and error I evolved new approaches for museums and galleries, to enable them to improve what they offer their public, a practical philosophy later outlined in my book The Poetic Museum (see Books).
However, my career was truncated before I had fully realised an exemplar poetic museum, which I planned to do by recreating the Victorian encyclopaedic museum in 21st century terms within Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum . In 1999 my post, along with the directorships of Libraries, Performing Arts, Recreation and Sport, was abolished by Glasgow City Council, and replaced by a leisure management system.
I spent a year as a researcher at the National Museum in Copenhagen, and I have over the years advised on museum development in several other countries, giving keynote addresses at museum and art gallery conferences in the USA, Canada, The Netherlands, Sweden and Russia.
In 2000, as Master of the Guild of St George (an educational charity established by John Ruskin), I established the nationwide and now international Campaign for Drawing, to raise awareness of the value of drawing in art, in education and in daily life.
As a broadcaster, I have been a regular contributor to Today, PM, Start the Week, Front Row and other programmes on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and Radio Scotland. I have also made programmes including a series of interviews with artists for Radio 3’s Third Ear. My television appearances include a short film on the future of the British Museum which I wrote and presented for BBC 2’s Newsnight, as well as numerous contributions to arts, news and current affairs programmes on the BBC and independent channels.
In 2001 I began to devote myself chiefly to writing.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 14, 2011
Even though I've rated this 3 stars I have equivocal feelings about this book. I found myself arguing with the author all the way through, partly because he is remarkably opinionated and partly because his arguments are loose and contradictory. For example he has a go at Gae Aulenti, the architect who turned the Gare d'Orsay into a museum, calling her work a "... sadly familiar architectural ego trip ...". He then goes on to say that one of the museum's greatest treasures is easy to miss, the Daumier sculptures of lawyers and jurists. Ironically, these sculptures are one of the things I saw, and enjoyed, on my first trip to the Gare d'Orsay.
It's a fun book though in that you can go through and make a lists of The Best Art You Have Already Seen, The Best Art That It's Very Unlikely That You Will Ever See (unless it's in a 3-D movie by Werner Herzog), and The Best Art That Might Get Ruined If You Join The Touristic Hordes Going To See It Now That It's Been Published By Rough Guides.
So I recommend it if you're interested in art, architecture and travel, and like disagreeing with authors.
It's a fun book though in that you can go through and make a lists of The Best Art You Have Already Seen, The Best Art That It's Very Unlikely That You Will Ever See (unless it's in a 3-D movie by Werner Herzog), and The Best Art That Might Get Ruined If You Join The Touristic Hordes Going To See It Now That It's Been Published By Rough Guides.
So I recommend it if you're interested in art, architecture and travel, and like disagreeing with authors.
September 29, 2018
A very enjoyable book, taking a look at of wide variety of different artworks that one does not often see in books. The theme is interesting in that these are artworks hidden for various reasons - hidden by location, by art preferences, by hate, by collecting, by conservation, etc. I can only imagine the amount of work it took to obtain photographs (and such beautiful ones) of these 101 artworks and permission to show them. The author takes great joy in art and the text with each piece makes you see more and really enjoy the specialness of the piece or the artist.
August 27, 2018
L'auteur nous présente des chefs d'oeuvre méconnus de tout partout dans le monde, des dessins érotiques japonais aux statues des inuits, des esquisses de la renaissance à une étonnante statue de Voltaire nu. Avec un style enlevé et rieur.
September 24, 2017
Some real treasure in this book. Definitely recommend. In awe.
September 26, 2017
Really enjoyed this book! Thank you, Alisa!! I keep going back to it over and over.
February 19, 2019
I bought this book after returning from a trip to Sicily to admire some of the art I saw there.
February 25, 2020
interesting
January 14, 2021
Interesting info. I liked seeing the groupings of art.
June 8, 2012
This is the most luxurious form of armchair traveling. As he says in the introdution it would be impossibly expensive to go and see all these objects, so looking at it in this beautifuly produced book is the next best. It's very elegantly produced with silkily glossy pages, clear typeface and nicely colour balanced reproductions. Best of all is his enthusiasm, even reverence, for the beauty of the objects he describes.
July 28, 2014
This is a rough guide, with beautiful clear photos of the chosen works. It is really interesting - each piece of art (and there is some moving stuff) is accompanied by a short piece of text, so that you can pick it up and put it down, having read something interesting and often inspiring. The author says, "art lights up the place where it is.. glows in your mind..makes you more alive.. it is this that I hunt for". It is mind-opening, rather than didactic.
March 3, 2014
Enjoyable reference. Lovely write-ups with the pictures that explain not just the art but a bit about the history so we understand the context of the art better. Could be dangerous for those that love art because this will add 101 things to their "bucket list" (hate the phrase, but we all know what it means.)
November 4, 2010
With photographs and a nearly complete history behind each piece of artwork, the artist if known, is a great table book for those who are art fanatics.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews