A terrific little book on a fascinating figure

Originally published as a series of essays in The New Yorker in 1951, Duveen, by S. N. Behrman is a terrific little book. The fascinating and often controversial Joseph Duveen (1869-1939) remains one of the art world's most important figures. Along with its wit and eminent readability however, Behrman's work on him is distinguished in that it's as much a portrait of the beginnings of the United States' most distinguished art collections and museums (the Frick, the Morgan, the National Gallery of Art), as it is about the singular dealer who made them all happen. Last reprinted in 2003, copies of the book abound and are well worth picking up.