Angels and Aristocrats: Early European Art in New Zealand Public Collections
Mary Kisler

Price: $ 19.99 (Friends of Te Papa - $ 17.99)
Ref. No: 1014585
Dimensions: HB 235 x 260mm

New Zealand's public holdings of early European art began to be assembled during the nineteenth century, as part of a strong colonial belief that an emerging nation should reflect, if only in microcosm, the grand collections of Great Britain and Europe. Yet until recently, little art-historical attention has come their way. In this outstanding book, curator Mary Kisler celebrates the treasures that grace out public institutions and the benefactors who helped place them there, while also incorporating lesser known works that await their day in the sun. Superbly illustrated, accessibly written and meticulously researched, Angels and Aristocrats is a long-overdue celebration of the rich variety of our public collections, providing an indispensible guide to the lively debates and determined individuals that animate the history of western art.