Collection Team Column – Bailey Hotujac: The art of it all

An AP art history course my senior year of high school changed things for me. I'd always enjoyed history class, but couldn't tolerate memorizing dates of battles and who fought whom in which war. Art history allowed me to focus on the social aspects of history – not to mention, the pictures! One of the things I love most about art history was its universal appeal. No matter what other course I took in college, it connected in some way. From math (trust me, it was math – not aliens – that helped the Egyptians build the pyramids) to geology (crushed rocks = main ingredient in paint), it all applied to art in some way. It shouldn't be a bit surprising that I also love to read about art. I love the nonfiction – artist biographies, narratives of stolen/looted art, and forgers – and the fiction – kids running away to spend the night in the Met? Sign me up! One topic that has continually drawn me is the topic of lost/stolen art and forgeries. And maybe that's why Robert Edsel's The Monuments Men is one of my favorite books of all time. You can imagine, I'm pretty excited that the film adaptation opens tonight! (Anyone want to guess my plans after work?) With an all-star cast and Oscar buzz, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not the only one at the theater tonight. With the spotlight on art, I'd like to share some of my favorite art-related books and my ever expanding wish list: Fun with art history (one copy/one user) and Fun with art history (metered access). Bailey Hotujac is a Collection Development Specialist at OverDrive.

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DigitalDistributionBlogOverdrive/~3/_jEJurHhXjQ/