Belonging and Betrayal : How Jews Made the Art World Modern

**The story of dealers of Old Masters, champions of modern art, and victims of Nazi plunder.** Since the late-1990s, the fate of Nazi stolen art has become a cause célèbre. In __Belonging and Betrayal__, Charles Dellheim turns this story on its head by revealing how certain Jewish outsiders came to acquire so many old and modern masterpieces in the first place – and what this reveals about Jews, art, and modernity. This book tells the epic story of the fortunes and misfortunes of a small number of eminent art dealers and collectors who, against the odds, played a pivotal role in the migration of works of art from Europe to the United States and in the triumph of modern art. Beautifully written and compellingly told, this story takes place on both sides of the Atlantic from the late nineteenth century to the present. It is set against the backdrop of critical transformations, among them the gradual opening of European high culture, the ambiguities of Jewish acculturation, the massive sell-off of aristocratic family art collections, the emergence of different schools of modern art, the cultural impact of World War I, and the Nazi war against the Jews. The Story Of Dealers Of Old Masters, Champions Of Modern Art, And Victims Of Nazi Plunder. In Belonging And Betrayal, Distinguished Historian Charles Dellheim Tells The Story Of The Rise And Fall Of A Small Number Of Jews, Individuals, And Families, Who Were Merchants And Connoisseurs As Well As Dealers And Collectors Of Fine Art. They Competed And Cooperated At Various Times And Operated More Often Than Not On Both Sides Of The Atlantic. The Protagonists Of This Story Took A Leading Part In The Critical Transformations That Shook The Art World In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries: The Great Migration Of Old Master Paintings From Europe To The United States; And The Eventual Triumph Of Modern Art As Jewish Dealers Became The Modernists' Champions. The Story Begins With The Entry Of Jewish Dealers Into The Art World In The Late Nineteenth Century And Ends With The Nazi Plunder Of Their Collections. Along The Way, The Narrative Takes Us Into A Variety Of European Capitals--paris, London, Berlin, And Vienna--as Well As American Cities, Notably Boston And New York. It Sets The Protagonists' Stories Against The Backdrop Of The Broader Changes That Affected Their Fortunes And Transformed Art And Society: The Gradual Opening Of High Culture, The Dynamics Of Assimilation, Acculturation, And Antisemitism, The Decline Of The Landed Classes, The Ascent Of A New Capitalist Elite, The Cultural Impact Of The Great War, And The Nazi War Against The Jews.

The story of dealers of Old Masters, champions of modern art, and victims of Nazi plunder. Since the late-1990s, the fate of Nazi stolen art has become a cause célèbre. In Belonging and Betrayal, Charles Dellheim turns this story on its head by revealing how certain Jewish outsiders came to acquire so many old and modern masterpieces in the first place – and what this reveals about Jews, art, and modernity. This book tells the epic story of the fortunes and misfortunes of a small number of eminent art dealers and collectors who, against the odds, played a pivotal role in the migration of works of art from Europe to the United States and in the triumph of modern art. Beautifully written and compellingly told, this story takes place on both sides of the Atlantic from the late nineteenth century to the present. It is set against the backdrop of critical transformations, among them the gradual opening of European high culture, the ambiguities of Jewish acculturation, the massive sell-off of aristocratic family art collections, the emergence of different schools of modern art, the cultural impact of World War I, and the Nazi war against the Jews.

Contents Prologue: The Frame Part I. The Old Masters’ New Masters 1. Horse Dealer to Art Dealer 2. Treasure Island 3. Assimilating Art 4. Acquiring Eyes 5. Metropolitan Man Part II. Was Modernism Jewish? 6. Madman and Sons 7. Was Modernism Jewish? 8. First Impressionists 9. Berlin Calling 10. Between Bohemian and Bourgeois 11. The Right Banker Part III. In the Middle 12. The Wheel of War 13. Brothers-in-Arms 14. Custody Battles 15. In the Market of Love 16. Brothers-in-Law 17. Gentlemen and Players Part IV. To Have and Have Not 18. Artful Jews 19. Artless Jews 20. Next Year in Paris? 21. After the Fall 22. The Dispossessed 23. The Exiles and the Kingdom Epilogue: A Crack in Everything Acknowledgments Notes Index "This book aims to restore and recreate the life, work, and milieu of certain Jews who became arbiters of taste. Exploring how, against the odds, outsiders on the margins of European high culture, suddenly became the Old Masters' new masters and the modernists' champions"-- Provided by publisher