[ePub] Aoides Weihnachten (German Edition) by Sophia Anna Csar at Arts-Photography

Review

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Flawed; biased but fascinatingBy Robert GinsbergLike nearly everyone else; I found Rogues Gallery fascinating to read. I am an inveterate Met goer; and have been for 50 years. The stories Gross tells are delicious. But Im not clear on the authors real intentions. On the one hand; he criticizes the Met over and over again for being a private club. (As though anyone but the truly rich could found and maintain a world-class museum.) When the Met takes public money; he complains that the Met remains secretive. But when public money is withdrawn; he criticizes the Met for commercializing itself to raise money on its own. It isnt the fault of the Met that donors are selfish or willful; its not the fault of the Met that the people who come to help it are rich and self-interested. Many of the people who have worked there have had difficult personal lives or have behaved badly. (But that would be true of every great institution in the world.) A startling number have actually died in service to the museum. But it seems no matter what; the Met administration is always shown in a bad light. And while the gossip is delicious; most of it isnt relevant to what we see in the museum. Some of it (like the story of Jane Englehards birth and first marriage; which could be a book in itself)) seems to be there just because Gross had done the research and found a good story; it has no bearing on the Met at all. And while the book is very detailed; it is not always clear. As someone who is familiar with the Mets many changes; I would have appreciated a much clearer presentation of the Master Plan that has governed the Mets development for over 30 years. At the end; Gross confronts the chief problem the Met now faces: the truly rich are no longer much interested in the Met any more. And so Gross goes from demonizing the great donors of the past as difficult and selfish (and bad fathers!) to lamenting that they they have disappeared from the earth and will no longer endow the Met with their treasures.This book is deeply flawed; and the author is biased; but I recommend it to anyone who loves (or just visits) the Met.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Very interesting; but slow goingBy David A. CrossleyFirst; Great Title!! This is an extraordinary account on the history of one of Americas most important cultural treasures. Walking in the place and looking around gives no hint at the complex often dark backstory. The author says repeatedly that his efforts to get the historical material from the museum were rebuffed; so where did all this detail and dirt come from? The super-rich patrons named in the work certainly did not provide it; as most of them dont come off very favorably. Also the museums collection has a checkered history of pillage; deceit and fraud that was carefully suppressed. The material is fascinating; although after a few chapters the book becomes a list of handouts from billionaires. Overall; I recommend it.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Rogues IndeedBy Gustavus RamsayIt is a while since I finished it. I found it historically interesting but also fairly depressing when one sees that the acquisition and maintenance of the countrys greatest collection involves such horrifying amounts of ego; manipulation and downright dishonesty. The beauty that is art is often subjugated to the social and financial ambitions of some pretty unsavory characters. The answer; as always; is that money talks loudest in New York City and gives the power that often trumps connoisseurship. I thought often of Oscar Wildes remark about people who knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing. But a very good read; and the museum is as indisputably full of treasure as it sometimes is of duplicity. A great house of culture even if I would NOT want to sit down to dinner with most of the major donors.