Rethinking American Art

“I cannot think of another book like this—both in its descriptions of the influential critics and curators of the past and its insider’s perspective on a handful of key American art collectors. Bringing older notions of ‘quality’ and ‘masterpiece’ into the present, Stebbins also tracks the current generational shift, reviewing without partisan rancor the scholarly and cultural changes that have rocked American museums and classrooms in the last two decades. The profiles of collectors he knew personally are touching; his familiarity with dealers and the art market is invaluable. This is a book the field of American art has been waiting for.” —Dr. Kathleen Foster, Curator of American Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art “Ted Stebbins and I have been friends for fifty years. He has long been a guide to Carolyn and me in the world of American art. His help has been extraordinary. I value his judgment and his integrity. All of his recommendations have been outstanding and with great perspective. This book is a great read.” —Peter Lynch, investor, philanthropist, collector “Ted Stebbins has written a book of keen insight and clear analysis, filled with cautionary tales for the future. He has done so with a keen respect for the past, and a brilliant and ever-present engagement with the wonders of art. He writes of works of art as if he is seeing each for the first time, with a freshness and enthusiasm that helps us to see and understand. He recalls with clarity and discernment the many great individuals with whom he navigated institutions, and the marketplace, with a candor that will long be remembered. It is a memoir that, though steeped in history and memory, anticipates the future with boundless, inspiring energy.” —Matthew Teitelbaum, Director Emeritus, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston “Stebbins is our guide to the shifting canon of painters that he actively helped redefine. Stebbins’s shrewd purchases for museums, his original exhibitions, his teaching and his persuasive writing have changed the field of American studies. He’s known practically everybody in that field. His sharp portraits of collectors and dealers, competitors and colleagues, make for entertaining reading.” —John Walsh, Director Emeritus, Getty Museum “This highly informative and deeply insightful book beautifully charts the many ways American art has been appreciated, studied, valued, collected—and ultimately judged—across time. Stebbins, employing the knowledge and wisdom gained from more than 60 years as a preeminent scholar and curator of American art, provides a meticulously researched and documented history that is engagingly enriched by personal knowledge and experience. I know of no one who could have told this story more eloquently.” —Franklin Kelly, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, National Gallery of Art (retired) “I was Director of American Paintings at Sotheby's from 1976-2008, years of great growth in the field. Ted Stebbins was the one museum curator who attended virtually every auction preview, closely examining every painting, as well as contributing his scholarship to us on numerous occasions. His book is a thorough investigation into all facets of the American art world, both in depth and with great insight. Truly a treasured resource.” —Peter Rathbone, former Director of American Paintings, Sothebys