Examining the late-19th and early-20th century art world, Dellheim (history, Boston Univ.) provides a detailed account of the first time in the history of art that Jewish professionals played a pivotal role as artists, collectors, dealers, and critics. Combining the roles of cultural interpreters (in seeing the emergence of new forms of expression as avenues for cultural brokering and interpretation) and arbiters of taste, these professionals fostered the desire for, and acquisition of, works by avant-garde artists and Old Masters. This led to the migration of pieces from Europe to the US and the eventual triumph of modern art. Fortunes and misfortunes are laid bare as are Nazi plunder of degenerate art, forced dissolution of holdings in the 20th century, and the ongoing efforts at restitution in the 21st century. Dellheim also proposes a rationale for the surge in restitution efforts, citing family ties, Jewish pride, interest in art, and financial recovery. This well-researched volume, with copious notes, two sections of color plates, and interspersed black-and-white figures, will interest those studying art history, provenance research, art markets, museums and repatriation, cultural studies, and Jewish studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.

--J. Decker, Rochester Institute of Technology

Juilee Decker

Rochester Institute of Technology

Dellheim (history, Boston Univ.; The Face of the Past; The Disenchanted Isle) writes a history of the European Jews who had a lasting impact on art world in the 20th century. In an era when Jews in Europe were barred from owning land, opening shops, or joining guilds, they entered the art world instead, Dellheim argues, as art dealers, critics, and collectors. He highlights the powerful turn-of-the-century dealers and collectors (Alfred Flechtheim, Alexandre Rosenberg, Nathan Wildenstein) who influenced the movement of artworks and styles throughout Europe and to the United States. They became champions of avant-garde artists like Picasso and Matisse and protected historic collections with works by old masters, Dellheim argues. They reached pinnacles of monetary and social success until the Second World War and German occupation forced them to flee their homes or be sent to concentration camps and they saw their art and fortunes ripped away. VERDICT Readers of Dellheim's book will learn more about the history of modern art and European cultural history during times of upheaval and turmoil. Those who enjoy history and art history will enjoy this deep dive.—RebeccaKluberdanz, Central New York Lib. Resources Council, Syracuse