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Yale University Press

Morozov: The Story of a Family and a Lost Collection

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Title: Morozov: The Story of a Family and a Lost Collection
Author: Semenova, Natalya
ISBN: 9780300249828
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2020
Binding: Book
Language: English
Condition: Used: Very Good
Clean, unmarked copy with some edge wear. Good binding. Dust jacket included if issued with one. We ship in recyclable American-made mailers. 100% money-back guarantee on all orders.

P 1413839

Publisher Description:
The first English-language account of Ivan Morozov and his ambition to build one of the world's greatest collections of modern art

"A century of Russian culture distilled in the story of the life, family and collection of the lavish, lazy, kindly, eccentric grandson of a serf who brought Monet and Matisse to Moscow, waited three years for the right 'Blue Gauguin'--and survived the first years of Bolshevik rule."--Jackie Wullschläger, Financial Times "Best Books of 2020: Visual Arts"

A wealthy Moscow textile merchant, Morozov started buying art in a modest way in 1900 until, on a trip to Paris, he developed a taste for the avant-garde. Meticulous and highly discerning, he acquired works by the likes of Monet, Pissarro, and Cezanne. Unlike his friendly rival Sergei Shchukin, he collected Russian as well as European art. Altogether he spent 1.5 million francs on 486 paintings and 30 sculptures--more than any other collector of the age.

Natalya Semenova traces Morozov's life, family, and achievements and sheds light on the interconnected worlds of European and Russian art at the turn of the twentieth century. Morozov always intended to leave his art to the state--but with the Revolution in 1917 he found himself appointed "assistant curator" to his own collection. He fled Russia and his collection was later divided between Moscow and St. Petersburg, only to languish in storage for decades.

Morozov: The Story of a Family and a Lost Collection was published to coincide with "The Morozov Collection" exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, May 2021.