This book is like a lesson in the history of art from a hilarious friend. It contains pictures and a jacket designed by George Adams which is torn.
Hard back First edition, second impression from 1960, published by Andre Deutsch Limited.
A fascinating autobiographical novel that follows Peggy Guggenheim from her spoilt, unhappy childhood under the strict education of parents and french nanny's determined to cultivate her good taste, into her work as a collector and curator. She writes humorously about this bored time in her life where she had bad cosmetic surgery and hid away, obsessing over lovers that rarely spoke to her like Samuel Beckett who she would run around after between Paris and London. It was Marcel Duchamp who introduced her to modern art, she would buy the works she liked to support the artists and exhibit them in London at her new venture, Guggenheim Jeune. She faced many difficulties as the war loomed like where to store the works "to my dismay, the Louvre decided that my pictures were not worth saving and refused me the space. What they considered not worth saving were a Kandinsky, several Klees and Picabias, a Cubrist Braque, a Miro, a Dali, Magritte and Brauner." The sculptures were not even considered including Bracusi, Giometti and Moore. The book follows her personal struggles and triumphs and is ultimately very inspiring, her voice is never dismissive, often humorous and positive despite many failed ventures and lost money.
I will be sad to part with this one.