Sacred and Stolen
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Sacred and Stolen by Gary Vikan
A revealing memoir of art, theft, and ethical dilemmas in the museum world.Sacred and Stolen unveils the hidden world of art museums through the eyes of director Gary Vikan. This memoir exposes the messy realities behind the polished facade: looted antiquities, crooked dealers, and the ethical tightrope walked by those entrusted with preserving cultural heritage.
Follow Vikan's journey from a small-town newspaper to the helm of a major art museum, grappling with questions of authenticity, ownership, and the conflicting passions of collectors and curators. This is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the intersection of art, history, and the human capacity for both creation and destruction. Discover the truth behind the treasures--and the secrets they hold.
Not since Thomas Hoving made the mummies dance has there been such a lively and engaging look at the inner workings of a major museumBased on Gary Vikan's decades-long tenure at the helm of the Walters Art Museum, this book brings his exceptional flair for scholarship and pop culture, which has seen Graceland described as a contemporary Byzantium, to showing how to make a great collection come alive. Having played a minor role in some of Vikan's adventures, I know at first hand that the work of a museum director is often more Raiders of the Lost Ark than Father Knows Best. Vikan's autobiographical account is a welcome addition to the often bone-dry literature about modern museums. James Bradbourne, Director, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan The world of museums, art collectors, and trade in cultural heritage ranges from murky to opaque, though it is always intriguing. Gary Vikan's wonderful, insightful memoir lifts the curtain and provides an invaluable, honest, and engaging glimpse behind the scenes of the museum world. A must-read for anyone interested in museums, curating, and collecting. Dr. Noah Charney, best-selling author of The Art of Forgery Great read!! Fun! One-upping fictional art whodunits, Gary Vikan shares a variety of nerve-racking real life experiences to provide new insights into the world of art museum directors. Lurking behind all that Technicolor museum glamour are many shades of gray, a fascinating cast of characters, and lots of intrigue. Tom Freudenheim, former Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Worcester Art Museum; former Assistant Secretary for Museums, Smithsonian Institution In his fascinating memoir, Sacred and Stolen, Gary Vikan invites us into the mind of a leading American museum director as he wrestles with the issue of our day: whether or not to buy art that, by all indications, was looted. Vikan navigates the issue with humor, aplomb, and a common sense that is both reassuring and, at times, treacherous. You may not always agree with his decisions, but you'll find him an able guide to one of the most confounding and controversial issues facing the art world today. Rarely have we had such a candid window into the thinking that guides America's biggest cultural institutions. Jason Felch, co-author of Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities in the World's Richest Museum As a writer Gary Vikan has three virtues hardly ever found together. He genuinely loves art and is extraordinarily erudite on the subject; he cares about what's right and wrong; and he is wonderfully alive to the human capacity for absurd behavior. Gary's scholarship and professional ethics, combined with his impish sense of humor, make for delightful reading. Dan Hofstadter, author of Goldberg's Angel: An Adventure in the Antiquities Trade
Gary Vikan served as director of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore from 1994 to 2012. An internationally known Byzantinist and scholar of medieval art, Dr. Vikan has published and lectured extensively on topics as varied as early Christian pilgrimage, medicine and magic, icons, the Shroud of Turin, neuroscience and aesthetics, and Elvis Presley. He is adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University, Department of Art History, and a faculty member in the Johns Hopkins University School of Continuing Studies. He was named Chevalier de l Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and Communication in 2000. A native of Minnesota, he received his B.A. from Carleton College in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1976.
| SKU | Nicht verfügbar |
| ISBN 13 | 9781590793930 |
| ISBN 10 | 1590793935 |
| Titel | Sacred and Stolen |
| Autor | Gary Vikan |
| Buchzustand | Nicht verfügbar |
| Bindungsart | Hardback |
| Verlag | Select Books Inc |
| Erscheinungsjahr | 2016-10-06 |
| Seitenanzahl | 256 |
| Hinweis auf dem Einband | Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden. |
| Hinweis | Nicht verfügbar |