Past and Present in Art and Taste: Selected Essays

“Taste” in art is a constantly recurring theme among many philosophers, artists, and historians. Here, Oxford art historian Haskell continues his study of the changing nature of artistic taste begun in Patrons and Painters (1963) and continued (with Nicholas Penny) in Taste and the Antique ( LJ 4/1/81) through an exploration of the careers of several 18th- and 19th-century collectors. Haskell has a gift for animating his subjects. His essay on Morris Moore’s lifelong attempt to prove he owned a genuine Raphael is brilliant in its portrayal of the egos and politics that invade the art world. The other essays in the book are no less readable, providing a unique and valuable look at some of the forces that shape and reshape our concept of taste. Terry Skeats, Bishop’s Univ. Lib., Lennoxville.